Red Cape and a Vampire (The Mantle of Superman Saga Part One)
by Dr. Oppenstein
Summary: When six of his father's worst enemies escape the Phantom Zone, the new Man of Steel must venture to universes beyond the DC Multiverse to capture them. First stop: Yokai Academy.
1. Prologue

**Prologue – The Red Cape Guy**

Moka was frozen in place. She felt her knees almost buckle as the tall, pale-skinned creature marched up and gazed down at her.

"You am pretty girl. Pink hair. You am Lois here?"

Its voice was hoarse, deep and grating. It had the grammar of a child just learning how to speak.

"Um, no," she said shakily. "My name's Moka."

"Me am Bizarro." He smiled a proud grin full of crooked teeth.

"I kinda gathered from the name tag," Moka said, pointing at the large, engraved disk hanging around his neck.

He was unlike any monster she had ever seen before. He was incredibly human-like with chalky skin and dark hair. His muscles bulged from his body like a weightlifter's, filling out his purple and violet costume. Behind him was a visible trail of destruction beginning at the tennis courts and ending at the soccer field. Strewn about were the unconscious bodies of many of Yokai Academy's most powerful students.

He had defeated them all in several minutes. Seeing Moka had temporarily quelled the beast's rage.

Moka swallowed hard and tried to muster her courage. "What kind of monster are you, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Bizarro am no monster. Bizarro am Superman! Superman fight monsters, protect Lois."

_"Hey! What do think you're doing?"_

Kurumu had gotten Bizarro's attention. She, Mizore and Yukari were on the field several yards away. They looked ready for a fight.

"More monsters!" exclaimed Bizarro.

"Oh, no," Moka gasped. "Guys, what are you thinking!"

"We're saving your ass, what's it look like?" Kurumu asked rhetorically.

"Yea, this guy needs a major attitude adjustment," shouted Yukari.

Bizarro put himself between Moka and the other girls, his muscles corded and fists balled at the ready. "Lois stay back. Bizarro protect Lois from bad monsters."

"But Bizarro, they're not trying to hurt me. They're my friends!"

"Run for it, Moka!" shouted Kumuru as she spread her wings and leapt into the air. She extended her razor-sharp claws and dove for Bizarro's face. "C'mon, big boy. _Show me what'cha got!_"

Twin beams of blue light shot from Bizarro's eyes, hitting Kumuru before she even got within striking distance. Her whole body was encased in ice and fell to the ground with a thud.

_I can't believe it, _Moka thought as she watched helplessly._ He froze her solid._

She heard someone across the field call her name. "Mokaaa!"

It was Tsukune. He was running toward her from the other side of the soccer field, and the new boy, Chris, was with him.

"No, Tsukune, stay back!" Moka warned.

Chris put a staying hand on Tsukune's shoulder.

"So you like ice, do ya?" Mizore said huskily. "_Try this!_" The teenaged snow woman threw a barrage of ice crystals at Bizarro. A look of shock paralyzed her face when they simply shattered against his impenetrable skin.

Bizarro stamped his foot, causing a small earthquake. The ground rippled and burst apart in an explosion of dirt and grass. Mizore and Yukari leapt away from the yawning chasm that split the earth under their very feet.

"What the hell is this guy?" Mizore said. "He's stronger than any monster I've ever heard of!"

"Let me have a whack at him!" cried Yukari as she raised her magic wand.

"No, Yukari, don't!"

It was that exchange student from America. The one with the glasses. What was his name? _Christopher._

"Your magic will only make Bizarro stronger! He'll feed on it!"

"Ha! I don't think so. Watch and learn, newbie!"

Ignoring his warning, Yukari gave her wand a twirl and recited a spell. A gold washtub materialized out of thin air and fell on Bizarro's head. It hardly did any damage. Instead, he caught it and licked his lips.

"Uh oh," Yukari said.

Bizarro ate the whole washtub within a few seconds, giving a satisfied belch when he was done.

"Ahh. Now Bizarro ready for round two!"

"Are you kidding me!" Yukari screamed.

With the little witch girl fixed in his sights, Bizarro took a deep breath, and his cheeks started to glow. He was about to use his flame breath to torch Yukari.

"Hold on, Yukari!"

A vortex of flame was streaming in Yukari's direction. Chris became a total blur as he sprinted across the field. There was no time to react, no time to think! The world seemed to stop as a wall of napalm surged toward the paralyzed witch girl.

Then Chris was with her. He bundled her up in his arms and turned her into his body, shielding her from Bizarro's attack. Everyone watched in horror as Chris and Yukari were consumed in the surging cyclone of flames.

When Bizarro ran out of breath, there was a strip of scorched earth ending where Chris and Yukari used to—wait…

A figure rose up, fists balled on his hips. The wind caught his red cape revealing Yukari, unharmed and gazing up at the man with the big red 'S' emblazoned on his chest—the man who had shielded her with his own body. It was Christopher Kent!

_Wait a minute!_ Yukari thought.

_It can't be,_ thought Moka.

A single word passed through Mizore's mind: _Wow._

Tsukune: _Christopher Kent is really…_

Everyone: _The Red Cape Guy!?_


	2. Chapter 1 - New Guy and a Vampire

**Chapter 1 – New Guy and a Vampire**

The morning sky was always red. As the sun made its arc throughout the day, the color changed to teal green then gold and finally back to red as it began to set. Tsukune Aono had long since ceased to notice the peculiarities of living in this world of monsters and magic, underneath a shield of mystical energy where his school, Yokai Academy, was hidden from human eyes. He was making his way toward the school from the boys' dormitory. The path was distinguished by innumerable headstones sticking out of the ground on either side of the trail and a thick, surrounding forest of black trees. The long, twisted branches were home to flocks of unblinking red-eyed crows and a curious species of talking bat native to the monster world.

The gothic façade of the academy came into view, and Tsukune picked up his pace. Soon he was mingling among his fellow classmates in the front courtyard. This was his favorite part of the day because he always got to see—

A pair of arms wrapped around his neck, and he felt a pair of warm breasts press into his shoulder.

"Good morning, Tsukune," said Moka sweetly.

"Hey, Moka," Tsukune replied with a smile. He caught a whiff of her natural scent—dogwood blossoms—and filled the rest of his lungs with it.

Moka Akashiya was the prettiest girl at Yokai Academy. Her waist-length pink hair, creamy skin and incredible curves made her the object of every male student's fantasy. She was a sweethearted girl who turned heads with her body and made people fall in love with her just by being in the same room.

Incidentally, she was also a vampire with a split personality.

"Are you ready for the English exam, today?" she asked.

"I ought to be. We were up studying all last night."

"Which reminds me: I slept in this morning and I didn't get a chance to eat breakfast, so…"

Tsukune's heart sped up as Moka pressed her nose into the crook of his neck and licked her lips.

"Your blood smells so good," she whispered longingly. "And I'm so hungry. Please, Tsukune?"

How in the hell did she manage to scare and arouse him at the same time? Of course, they had gotten to the point where she didn't need his consent. Tsukune would let her bite him—he couldn't say no to her. He supposed he really was smit—

Tsukune felt Moka's tiny fangs pierce his skin. She moaned blissfully when his blood touched her tongue and she began to drink. For his part, it took all Tsukune's strength to remain standing as the bodacious vampire sucked his blood. As always a strange mixture of anxiety and euphoria washed over him like a wave, immobilizing him. He felt Moka's breasts press into his chest, the warmth of her body and the loving embrace of her arms around his neck. Tsukune's own arms encircled her waist and pulled her closer.

_I guess there are worse ways to start the day._

"We're going to be late," he heard Moka say.

Her voice snapped him out of his reverie. "Huh?"

Moka giggled, leaned back and looked up at him with her big green eyes. "I said we're going to be late, but you can keep holding me if you want."

He felt completely embarrassed now. He thought he'd only imagined holding her this way. In moments like this, Tsukune really wanted to kiss her. Unfortunately, he waited too long because suddenly Kurumu was between them, forcing them apart.

"What's going on here!" the succubus exclaimed. "I can't believe you were sucking Tsukune's blood again, Moka. At this rate he'll be an empty husk by the end of the week!"

"It was only a little taste," Moka replied.

Kurumu got right in Moka's face. "Yea, right. I know what 'a little taste' means with you. Tsukune offers you a sip and you take a pint."

"I keep telling you it's ok, Kurumu," Tsukune interrupted.

Now the cerulean-haired succubus was crushing Tsukune's head between her bountiful bosoms in a bear hug. "Oh, Tsukune, you're a sweetheart. But let's face it, Moka tends to take advantage of you. Not like me, though. I'll make you feel all better."

Tsukune's arms were flailing all around. She was suffocating him but a detached, horny part of his mind was loving it!

A golden washtub suddenly appeared out of thin air, knocking Kurumu on the head and releasing Tsukune. Yukari laughed musically.

"Back off you brazen hussy," cried the little witch-girl. "When are you going to learn Tsukune likes a higher class of woman like yours truly?"

Kurumu was quickly back on her feet, leering over the preteen witch-girl. "And what do you know about high class, short stack? You're not even old enough to drive!"

Yukari crossed her arms smugly. "Brains before beauty, sister. What little gray matter you have is stored in your oversized bazongas."

Kurumu smirked triumphantly and struck a pose that accentuated her luscious bust through her yellow sweater vest. "There's nothing little about my perky puppies, unlike your little mosquito bites. That must mean I'm a genius."

"Why don't you go get a job as a crash test dummy?" shouted Yukari. "With the size of your air bags, you'd be a perfect candidate."

"You wish they were filled with air," retorted Kurumu, "like your head."

Yukari could take a lot of smack, but she drew the line at insults to her intelligence.

"That's it," she said. "I've had it with you." She twirled her magic wand, preparing to cast a spell.

Kurumu's fingernails extended into long, slashing claws. "Bring it on, you Oompa Loompa!"

Suddenly, they were both encased in ice.

"Hey, Tsukune," Mizore said in her typical husky monotone. She had snuck up behind him at some point and was only now making her presence known.

Her proximity made Tsukune jump. "Uh, hi, Mizore," he stuttered.

The purple-haired, glassy-eyed snow woman had earned a reputation as Tsukune's stalker. She seemed proud of the distinction, but no one understood why.

"I've got a new story for the Newspaper Club. I was wondering you'd like to take a look at it. It's an exposé on you."

Tsukune blushed and smiled, scratched his head. "Gee, that's really nice, Mizore. I'm flattered."

"It's actually more of a love poem, but I figured we could run it anyway since it's an epic story of our star-crossed love affair."

"Wait! _Love affair!?_" screamed Tsukune in shock.

Mizore gazed at him through half-lidded eyes. "How about we skip homeroom today so you can help me edit it?" She rubbed an icy hand across his chest. "Maybe we can add some more to the story like how we made a baby together in the library."

Sometimes Tsukune really hated being the center of attention.

"No way," shouted Kurumu. "The only one Tsukune's making babies with is me!" She had thawed out and was grasping Tsukune's bicep with both arms.

"You two are mental," cried Yukari as she jumped on Tsukune's back and held fast to his shoulders. "I'm the only girl for Tsukune!"

Soon he was the object of affection in a vicious tug of war between four of Yokai Academy's most popular girls.

"Uh, ladies," Tsukune said timidly, "can't we do this some other time?"

His plea went unheeded. Finally Moka shouted at the top of her lungs:

"All of you _stop it! _We've been fighting over Tsukune since freshman year."

The fighting stopped, and everyone's attention was now on Moka.

"Yea, so?" asked Kurumu.

Moka gulped. She looked very indecisive and timid. "So…I think it's time he decided which one of us he wants to be his steady girlfriend."

Tsukune's brain exploded and he collapsed. He always knew this day would come. Meanwhile, the girls started arguing again.

"That's a no-brainer," Kurumu said. "I'm Tsukune's one and only love. He'll pick me."

"No way," Yukari said. "He's mine!"

"You're both mentally challenged," said Mizore. "Tsukune's practically my fiancée."

And the cycle began again.

"That's enough!" a new voice roared.

Everyone stopped and saw that a new player had entered the scene. He was a senior boy with jet black hair held in a ponytail. He had shifty features and big, bulbous eyes. Everyone in school knew him as the fish boy because a faint aroma of sardines followed him wherever he went.

"All you girls fighting over a single wimp! It's too much to take. I've been at this school for four years and I've never gotten that kind of attention."

_Oh, no, not again,_ Tsukune whined inside his mind. Whenever a jealous rival started ranting it usually meant there was going to be a showdown within the next few seconds.

"I may not have a shot with any of you," fish-boy said, "but I can at least give the next generation a shot by killing Tsukune Aono right here and now!"

The fish boy started growing slimy, scaly skin. His lips became swollen and puffy like a fish. His eyes grew larger until they were so far out of his skull they looked like they might fall out. His stature grew and grew until he burst out of his school uniform. His hands and toes were now webbed and tipped with curved black claws. He looked like a cross between a fish and an amphibian walking upright on two legs.

"Holy crap, fish-boy's a Dagon!" exclaimed Kurumu.

A Dagon was a species of demon worshiped across ancient Mesopotamia as gods of agriculture, fertility and fishing. Although not as powerful as the legendary S-class supermonster, the Dagon was historically known to be very formidable in combat and could spit poison darts that triggered paralysis within seconds.

"It's against school rules to morph into your monster form!" said Yukari.

Fish-boy's voice was much deeper now and had a cruel edge. "That's easy for you to say, witch, considering you don't even have an inner form to speak of! Now let's get down to business. _Die Tsukune Aono!_"

The Dagon puckered its lips and spit one of its poison darts at Tsukune. It was moving so fast, none of the girls had a chance to react! Tsukune's face was a mask of horror as the spear-sized barb flew toward his chest.

Just before it reached its target, the dart was vaporized in a puff of smoke.

The Dagon gasped in surprise. "What the…"

"Up here," a voice called from above.

"Hey, look up in the sky!" someone shouted, pointing to a figure hanging in the air with arms crossed, a red cape hanging from his shoulders.

"I don't know what your problem is," the stranger said, "but you're going to stop this foolishness right now!"

"Beat it, punk, this isn't your fight," the Dagon said.

The red cape guy hovered between the Dagon and Tsukune. He was wearing a bodysuit of alternating navy and Old Glory blue. There was a symbol on his chest—a distinctive red 'S' stood out against a gold background inside a five-sided diamond. His cape and boots were the same crimson red as the 'S' symbol. He was unlike any creature anybody had ever seen.

"I'd hardly call this a fight. You're trying to kill a defenseless teenager."

"So? Watz'it ta you?"

"Everything," said the red cape guy. "I fight for those who can't defend themselves."

"How very noble. _I'll carve that on your headstone!_"

The Dagon attacked, leaping into the air with his claws spread out. The red cape guy simply raised his hand and flicked his finger against the Dagon's forehead. The force of impact sounded like steel smacking against concrete. The Dagon's head snapped back and he went spiraling backward. He hit the ground hard and slid to a stop several yards away, limp as a noodle. His discolored tongue hung out of the corner of his mouth.

The red cape guy floated down to hover above the disabled Dagon. Its large eyes were barely able to focus on him.

"Have we learned our lesson?" he asked.

"Uhh. Yea. Don't pick on the little guy."

"Good. Remember that while I'm here…or I'll be back to remind you."

His boots touched the ground and he walked over to Tsukune and the girls. "Are you ok?"

"Y-yea," Tsukune said. "A lot better than the other guy anyway."

They watched as the Dagon morphed back into his human form. Two faculty members helped him to his feet and walked him inside. The school would most likely suspend him for this.

"Amazing. Is he some kind of shape-shifter?" the red cape guy asked.

This question struck everyone as odd, even Tsukune.

"You're not from around here, are you?" asked Moka.

"Actually, no," the stranger said with a smile. "I'm just passing through. No offense, but you all seem to be holding it together pretty well after almost being attacked by a giant fish creature."

"It's kind of business as usual," Yukari explained.

"Then this may sound like a loaded question, but have you noticed anything odd lately?" the stranger asked.

"You want a list?" asked Tsukune.

The stranger huffed a laugh. "Ha. I guess I asked for that. What I'm getting at is that I'm looking for someone. Someone like me, I guess, who doesn't seem to belong."

"Uh, no we haven't seen anybody like you before," Kurumu said. "Where did you come from anyway? Are you, like, a student here or something?"

"Student? Is this place some kind of school?"

"Of course, it is. You mean you've never heard of Yokai Academy?" asked Kurumu.

"I'm afraid not," said the stranger.

A crowd of students had gathered around the stranger, ogling him like a curiosity in a museum. He seemed to take notice for the first time.

"I think I'd better get going," he said. "It was nice meeting you." He waved as he rose into the air.

"Wait a second," called Tsukune. "Who are you?"

Red cape guy smiled cryptically. "A friend."

He rapidly ascended into the air until he was speck. Everyone watched in wonder until he vanished behind the clouds.

* * *

Somehow, they made it to homeroom. Everyone was still in a state of shock after the morning's events. A flying man with more strength in one finger than an S-class supermonster had in its whole body! It was incredible. Where had he gone? Who was he? And why was he here, seemingly ignorant of Yokai Academy and its purpose?

In spite of the daze that had befallen the student body, Miss Nekonome was her usual bubbly self.

"Good morning, class! I hope everybody had a good weekend, _meow_. Let's get started with roll call." She opened her attendance book and started calling off names. About halfway through, the classroom door slid open.

"Um, excuse me. Is this Miss Nekonome's class?"

She smiled sweetly. "Why, yes, I'm Miss Nekonome. And who are you, young man?"

He cleared his throat nervously. "My name's Christopher Kent. I'm…ah, I'm a transfer student here." His last sentence sounded more like a question than a statement.

He was tall, about six-four, but his school uniform looked two sizes too big for his frame. The sleeves of his teal green jacket touched his knuckles, and his khaki pants were an inch too long. He had messy dark blonde hair and wore thick black plastic frame glasses.

"Really?" asked Miss Nekonome, her catlike ears twitching atop her head. "I wasn't expecting a new student, _meow_."

"I'm sorry, ma'am." He had a quiet, unassuming voice. "The central office is having trouble getting the records from my old school in America. It seems nobody knew I was coming."

"Oh, dear. How unfortunate. Well, I'm sure we'll get everything straightened out eventually. In the meantime welcome to Yokai Academy, Mr. Kent! And I must say your Japanese is excellent."

The new guy looked very uncomfortable with praise. "Uh…thanks, Miss Nekonome." He nervously pulled at his shirt collar like it was too tight around his neck.

"Everyone this is Christopher Kent, our new transfer student from America! Why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself, Mr. Kent?"

Chris fidgeted nervously. "There's not much to tell really. I'm just a city kid from Metropolis."

"Does that mean your old school was a human school?" asked one curious student.

"Well…yea. I grew up around humans."

"Wow, no wonder you're a spaz."

Most everyone in the class snickered at the jab.

"Now, now, that was uncalled for," scolded Miss Nekonome. "Since Mr. Kent is starting late I expect you to give him all the help he needs to get caught up. You can take the desk next to Mr. Aono, Christopher." She pointed at an empty seat next to Tsukune.

"Thank you. And please, ma'am, just call me Chris."

"Of course. Whatever makes you comfortable."

Chris took his seat. As Miss Nekonome finished taking attendance, Tsukune leaned over and introduced himself.

"Hi, I'm Tsukune." He motioned to the cute pink-haired girl behind him. "This is Moka."

"Hi, Chris," she said. "Welcome to Japan."

"Thanks," he mumbled.

"That's Kurumu behind you," Tsukune said.

Chris turned and half-smiled at the blue-haired girl with the enormous rack. He pretended not to notice how well developed she was, but it was impossible.

"So where is Metropolis, the city you're from?" she asked. "I've never heard of it."

"East Coast. Along Delaware Bay. You can see New Jersey from my parent's apartment building."

"That's really cool," Kurumu said. "What brought you to Japan?"

"Um, well, there aren't many schools in America built for…built for…ah, _us._ People like us."

"You mean monsters," Moka said.

"Yea. Exactly. I thought it might be cool to go to school with other monsters. Like me."

A tinny female voice said, "You seem kind of old to be a junior."

In the seat ahead of Tsukune sat a small, twelve-year-old girl wearing a brown cape and pointed hat.

"You seem kind of young to be in high school," Chris retorted. "Period."

"Don't mind Yukari," Mizore said. The pale-skinned snow woman was turned around in her seat, facing Chris. "She skipped two grades, so she thinks she's hot shit."

"You wish you were as hot as me," Yukari mumbled. "Literally."

"So, Chris," Mizore said, "you don't know anyone here?"

He shook his head.

"Gee, that must be tough on you," Moka said. Then her face lit up. "You should totally come hang out with the Newspaper Club."

"The what?" he asked.

"We're all on the school newspaper," Tsukune said. "We have a really great time working on it. You should come check it out."

For the first time since entering homeroom, Chris relaxed and cracked a smile. "Yea, I'd like that."

Miss Nekonome finally started class. Today an English exam was on the agenda. The test consisted of a single page where one had to translate Japanese characters into equivalent English phrases. She gave Chris the option to skip it, but he persuaded her to let him take it.

He was the first one to turn in his test. He'd completed it in less than thirty seconds.

At a glance, Miss Nekonome could tell he earned top marks.

"Very excellent work, Mr. Kent," she said. "I think you're going to do very well here."

* * *

The headmaster's office was always darkened, illuminated mostly by wax candles and a shaded window behind his desk. Ruby Tojo, his executive assistant and a talented witch, stood before the cloaked figure of the headmaster ready to receive instructions for her new assignment.

The white-robed exorcist moved about the office in sharp, jerky spurts of motion. Ruby had never seen him so agitated.

"I'm glad you could find the time to see me, Ruby, considering everything I've tasked you with recently," the headmaster said.

"I'm always ready to lend my assistance wherever you need me, headmaster," Ruby replied.

"That's good because I have need of your particular talents as a witch. You are aware of the shield which separates our supernatural world from the mundane human world beyond."

"Of course," Ruby replied. "It's powered by an enchanted Rosary kept here inside the school. The barrier is impenetrable under normal circumstances and keeps the chaotic monster energy of our world from infecting the human realm."

"What I'm about to tell you is highly sensitive information. It is not to be repeated, or it may cause panic among the student population," the headmaster said. "The great barrier was recently breached."

Ruby's eyes went wide. "Wha—_breached?_"

"Perhaps 'breached' is not accurate," corrected the headmaster. "It was _bypassed_. I think someone got around the shield somehow."

"How is that possible?" asked Ruby. "I thought the bus tunnels were the only way to safely circumvent the barrier."

"That's what I need you to figure out for me. You can mingle among the students as one of them and gather information more efficiently. I want to know if someone from the human world has infiltrated Yokai Academy and, if so, how they did it. The security of the school may be in danger, so you must keep this a secret. Understand?"

Ruby clicked her heels together and stood straight as a flagpole.

"Yes, sir. If there is an intruder here, I'll find them. Nothing get's past Ruby Tojo!"


	3. Chapter 2 - The Mantle of Superman

**Chapter 2 – The Mantle of Superman**

"Kent! _KENT!?_"

Perry White's voice carried across the Daily Planet bullpen like he was talking through a loudspeaker. The old newshound remained robust despite his eighty-odd years and persistent vice for cigars. It was eight am in Metropolis, the beginning of a beautiful spring day after a week of grey clouds and dismal rainstorms. Yet the universe was off kilter for the simple fact that the Daily Planet's editor-in-chief was still waiting for his morning cup of joe.

Perry White hated waiting for anything, especially his coffee.

Six floors down, in an elevator packed with people, a young journalist was balancing a carrier full of coffee cups, one of which was the Chief's. He was running late, as he often did. The fledgling reporter was still learning to balance his secret identity with his greater responsibilities. His super-hearing picked up Mr. White's voice loud and clear. He sounded annoyed, which was his default state anyway, but the Chief's fury was directed specifically at him. Perry's rants were legendary around the Planet. He would be the object of pity and scorn among his coworkers for the rest of the day and most of the next if he didn't hurry.

_Oh, well. It's all part of the act, I guess._

The elevator doors opened and the young reporter stepped into the bullpen. It was complete chaos, as usual. Two dozen of the Daily Planet's best correspondents were crammed onto a single floor, all in a hurry to get their stories turned in by deadline. Phones ringing off the hook, the _tick tap tick_ of keyboard keys, crumbled paper, the smell of hot ink and toner, printers cranking our page after endless page: this was the Daily Planet newsroom at a fever pitch.

The copy boy made a beeline for the conference room where Perry was trying to start a staff meeting—without his morning caffeine kickstart.

The Chief slammed his fists on the table. "I swear if Chris Kent isn't here by the count of three, _he's fired!_ One…"

Chris narrowly avoided a collision with the mailroom guy.

"Two…"

He dodged around two oblivious reporters arguing over the byline of their shared article.

"Two and _a half_…"

Chris made it to the threshold. "Stop the presses—_whoa!_" He stepped and slipped on a piece of paper. His leg shot out from under him like he'd slipped on a sheet of ice and he fell backward, landing square on his back with a loud _thump_.

But his lightning-quick reflexes saved the coffee.

"Kent!" the Chief shouted. "Where the hell have you been?"

He held up the coffee carrier in supplication. "In traffic."

In actuality he'd been putting out a tenement fire across town. Chris picked himself up and handed Mr. White his coffee.

"Never mind. It seems you inherited your father's penchant for making clumsiness into an art form. This had better not be cold."

Chris pretended to adjust his wire-frame glasses, lowering them just enough to hit Perry's cup with a small blast of heat vision.

The Chief sipped thoughtfully. Everyone in the room held a collective breath. The first sip would appease the Chief or enrage him further. Fortunately, it accomplished the latter.

Perry licked his lips. "Two creams, four sugars," he said gruffly.

The tension in the conference room relaxed. Crisis narrowly averted. The universe was once again spinning on its proper axis.

"Well what're you standing around for, Kent? Take a seat!"

Chris sat down, smoothing his shirt and slacks as he did so. Across the table, Jimmy Olsen winked and gave him a discreet thumbs-up.

"Ok," Perry began, "introductions. We've got some new faces at the Planet. Everybody knows Jimmy Olsen, our newest Pulitzer winner. He's been in Egypt the last two months covering the most recent civil war. Now that he's back he'll be handling layout and photography."

Jimmy was well liked around the Daily Planet. He'd started out a young, inexperienced photographer and gradually worked his way up the ranks. After years of being Perry's whipping boy, Jimmy started to work exclusively with Chris's mom, Lois, while they covered the exploits of Superman. These days he'd exchanged the sweater vests and bow ties for V-necks and sports coats. His ever-present camera still hung around his neck. Jimmy never went anywhere without his lucky camera.

Perry continued:

"I'll be handing the metro desk over to Tim Crane, recently defected from the Daily Star. Naturally, you've got some big shoes to fill."

Chris saw Perry glance at him, but pretended not to notice. It was strange seeing the Chief express pity, however subtly.

"I'm up to the challenge," Crane replied. "I promise I'll do my best to live up to the reputation of Lois and Clark."

"You'll give your best and then a whole lot more if you want to do that, Crane," Perry said.

The rest of the meeting kind of passed in a blur after that. Perry went around the table introducing the new top staffers until he finally got to Chris.

"Most of you already know Christopher Kent," Perry said. "His parents were two of the best reporters in the history of this paper. He'll be involved in web design and whatever grunt work I can think of, including but not limited to appeasing me with copious amounts of caffeine and sugar."

_At least he's upfront about it,_ Chris thought. He suddenly felt all eyes on him. It was not a comfortable feeling.

"Now that's out of the way," Perry said, "let's get down to the news. Starting with the tenement fire this morning. Crane, what've you got on this new Superman?"

"You'll like this, Chief," Crane said. He was in his mid-thirties, had light brown hair and was stocky. His straight, Romanesque nose and thin, serious lips reminded Chris of a young Patrick Stewart with a Boston accent. "My sources say this new Superman is that Kryptonian child from a few years back, the one from the Phantom Zone."

"The one that turned out to be General Zod's son," Perry finished.

Chris felt the hairs on his neck stand on end at the mention of his biological father.

"The same," Crane replied. "Kinda makes you wonder about his motives. Like why he's flying around Metropolis doing good deeds while wearing the real Man of Steel's cape and costume."

"I got a better question," Perry said. "Why the hell haven't any of you snagged an interview with the new Superman?"

"Is that what we're really calling him, Chief?" asked Whitney Blake, head of the lifestyle and fashion column. She was a pretty woman in her late twenties with blond pigtails who looked a lot like the heroine from _Lollipop Chainsaw_.

"The guy's wearing a blue bodysuit with the 'S' on his chest and a red cape," Perry said. "What else are we gonna call him?" He took a moment to calm down by chewing on his cigar. "Ok, I want a new front page for the evening edition. Fifty point script. New Superman: Imposter or Poser? Crane, I want ten thousand words by lunch. Olsen, where're my pictures?"

"We're still working on getting photos of the new guy, Chief," Jimmy said.

The pupils of Perry's eyes narrowed into little dark pinpricks. "Why? _Why_ are we still working on getting pictures, Olsen?"

Even after all these years, Jimmy still felt daunted under his boss's murderous gaze. "He seems to be camera shy."

"Well, stop the _freakin'_ presses, folks! Our new resident superhero is afraid of the camera! Olsen, you get me a shot, a _good_ shot, of the new Superman asap! Show me how you earned that Pulitzer, and I'll remember why you deserve to keep your job."

"Well, I was able to pull some images from the Internet," Olsen said.

Perry rubbed his brow. "Great Caesar's Ghost," he muttered. "Fine, show 'em to me."

Jimmy opened a folder and spread several action shots of Superman across the table for everyone to see. There was one of him putting out the tenement fire with his super-breath and another of him dropping off the getaway car from a bank robbery at the police station after he picked it up off Beaumont Ave mid-escape. There was another picture of him pulling a cruise ship back to port after an engine fire left it stranded in the ocean, and one of him holding a crippled CE-130 weather plane over his head after he had pulled it out of a hurricane.

Some were close enough they could make out Superman's face. It wasn't the one they were used to, and Chris waited in dreadful anticipation for someone to see past the glasses and shaggy hair, through the baggy clothes and recognize the same face in the photos everyone in the room was scrutinizing.

But it never happened.

"He's cute," said Whitney.

"Where did these come from?" asked Perry.

"Camera phones," Jimmy replied. "Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest…"

"We'll use the getaway car shot," Perry interrupted. "Work on getting the printing rights. Find a picture of him as a kid, too. We should have plenty in the archives. Do a then-and-now side-by-side frame for the front page. I want a back-up story on page eight titled 'Where Has the Real Man of Steel Gone?' Lifestyle: do a feature on the new Sup's costume. Speculate why he lost the red briefs."

"And the spit curl," Whitney added. "Gelled bangs are ten times hotter."

"Yea. Whatever. Just run with it. Alright, people, get moving. The evening edition isn't gonna write itself!"

Everyone filed out of the room. Chris desperately wanted to loosen his tie and unbutton his collar but held back. He didn't want any blue peeking out. He went to his desk and started work on updating the on-line edition of the Planet.

So this is what hiding in plain sight felt like. He wondered how his dad had managed it for so long. Maybe that was part of why he left. Not for the first time, Chris felt a palpable melancholy sweep over him. He left his desk and went to the row of windows across the bullpen and stared at the sprawling cityscape of Metropolis outside.

The only true parents he had ever known were now gone. His mother, Lois, had been a casualty of the Joker's final act of violence. Clark, Kal-El, his father, had left Earth and was now traveling the stars, looking for a way to escape the pain of her loss. He had left the mantle of Superman in Chris's hands.

Christopher Kent, Lor-Zod, now Lor-El, was the adoptive son of Superman and the biological son of the Kryptonian despot General Zod, mortal enemy of the House of El. Under a yellow sun he had all the same powers as Clark, and now that he was wearing the cape, he was questioning whether he was truly ready.

Everyone at the Planet seemed to think he wasn't. Where has the real Man of Steel gone? Who's the _new _Superman? Why, it's only the little lost boy from the Phantom Zone who helped usher an invasion of Earth by criminal degenerates from Krypton. They had every right to distrust him. His dad had spent years earning the trust of mankind, building a reputation as the world's greatest superhero, but he'd started with a clean slate. Chris already had so much going against him in spite of repelling the invasion and sending his cruel parents and their army back to the Phantom Zone.

A faint reflection of Chris stared back from the window: dirty blonde hair, caramel brown eyes, a defined jawline and chin but no cheekbones and a straight, slightly upturned nose. He wished he looked more like Clark. He wished even more for his dad's resolve and clarity. Lois had been a big part in keeping Clark Kent grounded, even when he was flying around as Superman. By contrast, Chris felt like he was flapping in the breeze.

A sonic boom shook the building. Activity in the bullpen halted abruptly as everyone stopped to identify the source. Chris used his super-hearing to locate the origin of the air burst above the city and zoomed in with his telescopic vision.

What he saw filled him with dread.

A mile and a half above the city a Phantom Zone tear had split space and time open like a jagged, gaping wound. Wild, exotic energy was pouring out of the tear in rivulets of yellow and green particle streams. That could only mean one thing: something was trying to come through. On the other side was the swirling gray nothingness of the Phantom Zone, once used as a prison for Krypton's most deranged and dangerous deviants.

Chris's vision returned to normal, and he pushed his glasses back up his nose. He thought to himself:

_This looks like a job for Superman._

He turned and made for the stairwell exit on the east side of the newsroom. Nobody was paying attention to him, just the color of the sky as it turned a sick shade of vomit green. Once in the stairway, he had a clear shot to the roof. He dashed up the steps at superspeed, mindful not to break the sound barrier inside the building. Once outside, he removed his glasses and rapidly undressed. It felt good to be out of those baggy clothes. His new uniform was a second skin. Made from Kryptonian fibers, and enhanced by the rays of Earth's yellow sun, it was an updated variant of Superman's original costume. He'd lost the red underwear and substituted a gold belt with red trim. He'd thought about retiring the red boots, too, but decided to keep them out of tradition.

Superman looked skyward, focusing on the Phantom Zone tear again. With his destination in sight, he took to the sky.

Below, he heard someone shout: "Look, up in the sky! It's Superman!"

Feeling kind of inspired, he raised his arms out in front of him, the classic Superman flying style. He continued to gain altitude rapidly. When he arrived at the tear, Superman was grateful to see it hadn't grown any wider. Seeing the Phantom Zone again filled Chris with fear. He still had nightmares about that place, the place of his birth.

Superman spoke aloud. "Kara, can you hear me? It's Chris."

A moment later, Supergirl replied, her voice registering with his super-hearing. "I hear you. What's up?"

"There's a Phantom Zone tear a mile and a half above Metropolis," he said. "I need a Kryptonian sunstone from the Fortress to seal it."

"Has anything come through?" she asked.

"Not yet. I'll stand watch until you get here with the sunstone."

"Got it," said Kara. "I'll be there in ten minutes."

"Make it faster if you can. I don't like the—"

A blast of heat vision surged out of the tear and hit him square in the chest. Even through the suit, it stung. A figure emerged from the tear, someone Chris had hoped to never see again. He must have been hovering just beyond the rift.

"So we meet again, son of Jor-El," said General Zod. "It must be Rao's will that you of all people on this world should first witness my return to Earth." Zod paused, eyeing him curiously. "_You_ are _not_ Kal-El."

"You're right."

Superman rushed his enemy, catching him under the chin with a right uppercut. It sent Zod spinning end over end toward the horizon.

"Chris, what happened?" Kara asked. Her voice sounded modulated now, like she was flying.

"I need that sunstone, Kara. Zod is back in town."

"Oh, Rao…"

Zod came streaking down out of the sky at supersonic speeds. The blow sent Superman careening toward the ground like a missile. He tried using his flight power to slow down, but his momentum was too great. He plowed through a building, then another, then a third before making a crater in Fifth Avenue.

Superman got to his feet and winced. That had actually hurt. Damn it, he had to be smarter than this. He was going toe-to-toe with someone who had all the same strengths.

"I hardly recognized you. It has been some time, Lor-Zod."

General Zod was hovering over him, arms crossed, expression stern. He was wearing the same muted grey and black prison uniform Chris had last seen him in all those years ago. His eyes were filled with nothing but malice, his countenance made even more severe by the goatee, sharp features and aquiline nose.

"So, you've abandoned your true heritage, have you?"

Superman rose to eye level with Dru-Zod, his accursed blood father. "I found my heritage," he said defiantly. "I renounced the House of Zod the day you tried to kill me."

"Blood recognizes blood, Lor-Zod. I am your father." His voice was cold and deep with no trace of humanity. "You belong by my side, but if you intend to defy me once more then I will finish what I started when you were a boy."

"My name is Lor-El, and I wear the family seal of the only father I've ever known."

Zod's eyes narrowed cruelly. "So be it, Son of Kal-El. _Kneel before Zod!_"

The attack was swift, but Superman was prepared this time. He spun Zod around and grabbed him by the collar, flying away from the city as fast as he safely could. Superman halted suddenly and threw Zod into the sky, using his strength and momentum. Speeding up again, Superman plowed into the Kryptonian despot with both fists.

Now that he didn't have civilians to worry about, Superman could cut loose.

Each punch the dueling Kryptonians landed exploded like thunderclaps in the sky. General Zod was a master of Krypton's most eclectic martial arts while Chris preferred good old fashioned bare-knuckle boxing. That being said, he was grateful Kara had taught him Klukor, Kryptonian karate.

Zod knew exactly where to hit, striking pressure points unique to the Kryptonian body, and with his superhuman strength, Superman certainly felt the pain. The problem was these techniques were two-dimensional—they didn't account for the power of flight—and Zod was still fighting like he was on the ground. He faked a left jab, and Zod took the bait, trying to get Superman into an arm-bar. He twisted his arm around and flipped up and over Zod so that his back was now to Superman. This new position let Chris bend Zod's arm back painfully and knee him in the spine.

Zod cried out in pain as he felt his back and arm nearly break.

"How did you escape the Phantom Zone?" Superman demanded.

"I'll…tell you…_nothing_," he hissed between clenched teeth.

"Then we do this the hard way."

"Yes," said Zod. "We will." He focused on the Daily Planet building far below them and fired his heat vision. The searing beams of thermal energy sliced the strut holding the globe firmly to the roof. Superman watched with horror as it tumbled off its perch and plunged to the street below.

Forgetting Zod, Superman released his nemesis and dove like a speeding bullet to catch the plummeting metal sphere. He got under it and, using his flight power, slowed its fall down to a crawl in less than three seconds. Superman felt stupid afterwards, feeling the metal ripple and twist in his hands as momentum and inertia threatened to tear the globe apart. If he'd slowed it down any faster the metal would have given away and he would have flown right through the hollow metal cavity.

He eased down until his feet touched the pavement. No surprise, Jimmy and his fleet of photographers were in the street, snapping away with their cameras.

Funny how things worked out—

Zod landed on top of the globe feet first, driving Superman into the ground with the force of ten pile drivers. The pavement cracked and shook as the air echoed with the groaning of metal and bursting rivets.

"Farewell, Superman," General Zod muttered derisively.

The globe shook beneath him. Superman burst through the debris and caught Zod with another uppercut, sending him skyward. The Man of Steel caught up with him and knocked him back down to Earth with a double-fisted blow to his shoulders. Zod hit the unforgiving Earth with a resounding smack. Superman landed on his chest, driving him further into the ground.

The escaped Kryptonian general looked broken, weak. Then, all around, Chris heard the city cheer.

_"Way ta'go Superman!"_

_ "That was awesome!"_

_ "He's Superman. He's gotta be Superman!"_

_ "Olsen, you'd better have me a damn good shot after all that."_

Superman grabbed Zod by his collar and noticed an odd silver crystal fall out of a pocket on his tunic. He picked it up, noticing the distinctive Kryptonian script etched on its facets. He x-rayed it, and saw that it was a sophisticated piece of technology not unlike a sunstone.

"Is this how you escaped the Phontom Zone?" he asked Zod.

Judging by his half-lidded eyes and blank expression, Superman guessed the general was seeing stars.

"Are you all right?"

Superman turned and saw Supergirl had arrived. She was holding a sunstone crystal from the Fortress of Solitude.

"Yea. I'm fine. I'll feel a lot better after we send this piece of scum back to the Phantom Zone. C'mon."

He held Zod in his arms and took flight, Kara falling in next to him. They ascended into the sky and returned to the Phantom Zone tear together.

"If we send him back now we won't know how he got out again," Kara said.

"I found a piece of Kryptonian tech on his person," said Superman. "I'll have to analyze it at the Fortress, but it's fairly obvious it's what made the tear."

"Are you sure you want to just throw him back in? Maybe we should question him."

"Zod's too dangerous," Superman said sternly. "He's going back where he belongs. Right. _Now_."

Superman tossed Zod back into the void of the Phantom Zone, watched as his physical form faded away into nothingness. Kara threw the sunstone into the rift. The crystal exploded in a flash of light, mending the tear like a soothing balm on the skin of the universe. The sky returned to its normal shade of blue as the yellow sun hung lazily above.

"Some morning, huh?" Kara said.

"Mm."

"Are you ok, Chris?" she asked.

"I'm fine." He knew he didn't sound convincing. Chris handed Kara the piece of silver sunstone. "Could you take this back to the Fortress? I'll meet you there later."

"Ok. What about in the meantime?"

Chris sighed, looked back down on Metropolis below. "Now, I have to clean up the mess I made."

Part of being Superman was getting involved with the community. That meant doing your civic duty by volunteering for the mop-up crew. Chris spent the next hour clearing debris and setting up equipment that would have taken days for the city to do on its own. He moved the Daily Planet globe back to its proper place after smoothing out the dents. After he finished welding the support strut back in place, Jimmy and Tim Crane met him on the roof, along with most of the staff from the newsroom.

"Superman! Tim Crane, Daily Planet. Would you mind answering some questions, please?"

Chris took a deep breath. He had been avoiding this out of fear for what people might think about a different Superman.

"I'd be happy to, Mr. Crane," Superman replied.

Everyone gathered closer. Cameras were flashing all around, digital recorders held out to catch his every word. Even Perry White looked oddly serene.

"Some sources claim that you are, in fact, the Kryptonian child from the Phantom Zone who landed in Metropolis twelve years ago. Can you confirm this?"

"Yes. I'm that same child. After the invasion ended, Kal-El—the original Superman—adopted me and raised me as his son."

"And where is the original Superman now?" Crane asked.

Chris did his best not to get choked up. "He…_we_ recently suffered a personal loss. A big personal loss. My dad, he didn't know any other way to cope so he went away."

"Went…away?" asked Crane. Everyone was equally nonplussed, looking at one another in disbelief.

"He's exploring the universe. It's his version of soul searching."

"And in the interim he's left you to carry on the…_tradition_?"

"That's right, Mr. Crane. For all intents and purposes, I am Superman."

_Wow, that felt really good to say out loud._

"And what about your biological father, General Zod," asked Crane. "That was him you were fighting just a while ago, wasn't it?"

"Yes. I don't know yet how he managed to escape the Phantom Zone, but rest assured the matter will have my full attention."

"It must have been really hard taking on your old man like that," Crane said.

"General Zod is no more my old man than he is yours, Mr. Crane," Superman said with a note of finality that said the interview was over. "He's back in the Phantom Zone where he belongs, and I'll make sure he stays there. I hope I've answered most of your questions. Now you'll have to excuse me."

He ascended gracefully into the air, the crowd below following his rise.

"By the way," Perry White shouted, "thanks for putting the globe back where it belongs!"

Superman waved goodbye. "You're welcome, sir." And he flew out of sight.

Ten minutes later, Christopher Kent emerged from the restroom. Nobody even noticed his absence. Except his boss.

"Kent!" Perry yelled. "Where were you?"

"Bathroom, Chief. Uh, upset stomach. Why what'd I miss?"

"Only the Planet's first exclusive interview with the new Superman. Get with Olsen. I want pictures of the smackdown with Zod on the web pronto."

"I'm all over it, Chief. Ah, should I call him just 'Superman' or 'New Superman' on the web page?"

"Stick with New Superman. And get me more coffee—the good stuff from next door, not the burnt crud from downstairs. I can tell which is which."

Chris went back to his desk and sat. The transition was like culture shock. He'd gone from hero to zero in forty-five seconds flat, from battling evildoers to fetching coffee for his temperamental boss. How in Rao's name had Clark managed it for so long?

"Nice job this morning," Jimmy said, leaning over the wall of Chris's cubicle. "Glorious entrance notwithstanding. Nobody ever gets Perry's coffee just the way he likes it."

Jimmy always brought a smile to Chris's face. People like him held the Daily Planet together like glue.

"I wouldn't exactly call it a Hail Mary," Chris said.

"Believe me, it was close enough. Anyway I e-mailed you a few shots for the online edition. Everything's already cropped and rendered."

"Thanks, Jimmy."

"Y'know a few of us are heading to Benson's Pub after work. You should come with."

Chris sighed. "Thanks. I'd really like to, but I have something really important to do after work."

* * *

The day ended. Chris snuck out to the roof through the stairwell, turning to watch a group of his coworkers head for the elevator, chatting amongst themselves as they headed for the exit downstairs and Benson's Pub beyond that.

Outside, the afternoon sun was hanging low in the sky. Chris shed his outer clothing again, stashing the disguise in the duffel bag he kept hid in the nearby maintenance shed. His cape billowed majestically behind him as a small breeze caught the fabric. He stole a glimpse at Jimmy leading the way to Benson's below. With another heavy sigh, he reached for his cape and found the small pocket for his iPod nano. He put his ear buds in and hit the play button. A heavy guitar solo started up followed by loud vocals.

Chris smiled. Perfect song to fit his mood. He took off for the Fortress of Solitude.

_"Awww I can't stand it, I know you planned it I'm gonna set it straight, this Watergate."_

He passed over the Galaxy Building, following Concord Lane to the north.

_"I can't stand rockin' while I'm in here 'Cause your crystal ball ain't so crystal clear."_

He'd passed most of the larger buildings in the inner city. Now the concrete, glass and steel were giving away to the suburbs. He adjusted his angle of ascent, and rose sharply into the clouds. Soon he was indistinguishable from a bird or a plane.

_"Oh my God, it's a mirage I'm tellin' y'all, it's sabotaaage."_

Before he knew it, the Fortress of Solitude was ahead in the distance. It was a magnificent palace of ice in a frozen wasteland, a majestic refuge at the top of the world made from spires of crisscrossed opaque crystal.

It was built from Kryptonian sunstones: programmable matter in the form of crystals, a form of technology surpassing nanoscale engineering that involved encoding data on the surface of electrons. It was a feat of science unmatched by anything else in the known universe, a lasting epitaph to a long-dead civilization.

Chris landed at the entrance and walked up to a set of large sliding doors. A beam of light scanned him from head to toe. A computerized, feminine voice not unlike his mother's said:

"Recognize. Superman. Access Granted."

The doors parted and Chris stepped inside. The main foyer was as grandiose as the outside. It was a large, vaulted chamber with a seventy-foot statue of his grandparents standing side by side, each helping to hold up a globe of planet Krypton. At the base were two smaller statues made of sunstone crystal: Jonathan and Martha Kent embracing each other lovingly as an old couple would during a greeting-card moment. Chris remembered them both very well, even though they had both passed within a year of his arrival.

Pa Kent's death had hit Clark very hard, Ma Kent's even harder. He often wondered if Lois's death had simply been the final nail in a big coffin, the proverbial last straw. Chris also never understood Clark's fear of not measuring up as a parent when he was a die-cast mold of his Pa. Despite having a million different kinds of vision, his dad never could see in himself what others did.

Chris rolled his shoulders. Suddenly the suit felt a little loose.

He made his way through the trophy room, headed to the laboratory annex. The enormous space was filled with personal mementoes his dad had collected throughout his epic career: a Legion of Super Heroes time sphere, the rocket ship that had carried a baby Kal-El to Earth from Krypton, the bottled city of Kandor. The newest edition was a scale replica of the _RMS Titanic._ It was the first of many projects they had begun together after Lois died. When you were superhuman, so were your coping mechanisms apparently.

Chris was still working on it in his spare time.

He passed the armory annex and living quarters until he arrived at the lab. The Fortress laboratory annex consisted of a computer and robotics lab and a main workshop equipped for forensics analysis, scientific research and engineering development. Everything was made of self-replicating Kryptonian sunstone crystal synthesized by rearranging the hydrogen atoms in the surrounding ice glacier.

The entire Fortress was essentially a giant Von Neumann machine, one without any moving parts.

The silver sunstone was suspended in an antigravity bottle on one of the workbenches, floating freely within a glowing blue beam of light. Chris took it out and inserted it into one of the empty slots on the analyzer. All Kryptonian technology was essentially plug-n-play. It made the Universal Serial Bus look like a floppy drive.

A holographic window appeared over the analyzer as well as holographic controls along the tabletop. Chris watched as the computer constructed a diagram of the crystal's inner workings. Pages and pages of data were assembled before his eyes.

"Any progress?" Kara asked.

"Oh, hey, Kara. I didn't know you…" He turned to greet his cousin and saw she had Power Girl with her. "…brought…company."

Karen Starr, Power Girl, was Kara's double from a parallel Earth, one that no longer existed. Her history had been folded into the continuity of this universe in the aftermath of a great Crisis that affected the entire Multiverse. The two looked like sisters. Both had honey blonde hair, big blue eyes and similar facial features. Karen was in her thirties now, seven years older than Kara. Kara had long hair past her shoulders while Karen kept hers cut short. Their temperaments were quite different despite being mirror images of one another. Kara was a sweetheart while Karen was mouthy and arrogant. One was like a big sister; the other was an older, worldly aunt.

The two of them together usually meant a serious talk was about to go down. Chris hated serious talks.

"Please tell me this isn't an intervention," Chris said.

"Chris, we're just worried about you," said Karen.

"You're always worried about me," he replied with a smile.

"Yea, but now you're filling your dad's boots," she said. "It's a lot of pressure. Believe me, we know. You're allowed to have a life without the cape."

"Where's this coming from?"

"It's just that you've been spending a lot of time in the Fortress," Kara said.

"I like the Fortress," Chris said. "It's _cozy._"

"For one thing, I actually lived on Krypton," said Kara, "and cozy is not the first word that comes to mind when I think of the Fortress."

"You only use your civilian identity when you're working at the Planet," said Karen. "When was the last time you slept in your own apartment?"

Chris disliked his apartment. It was plain, bland and unappealing.

"Two weeks," Chris admitted meekly.

"When was the last time you went out with friends?" Kara pressed.

"I saw Tim and Barbara last weekend."

"I meant out of costume," Kara said. "Can you even remember the last time you did anything fun?"

"Does the recent past count because this conversation is already in my top ten," Chris said sarcastically.

"We're only trying to help, Chris," Karen said.

"Do you want to grab a pint of Rocky Road?" asked Chris. "We can watch Jerry McGuire and paint our toenails—"

Kara punched him in the shoulder.

"Oww. Look, how am I supposed to have a social life when I've got a breach in the Phantom Zone to worry about? Or a tsunami in India? Or a bush fire in California? Or—"

"Are you even happy working at the Planet?" Karen interrupted.

"I…I get along," Chris said, turning his attention back to the analyzer.

"That doesn't answer my question. Just because you're following in your dad's footsteps doesn't mean you have to do everything the same. It's ok to admit the Planet just doesn't work for you."

The reason Chris hated serious talks was because someone always ended up making more sense than he did.

"It…hasn't been what I imagined," Chris admitted.

"Look, Chris," Karen said, "you're every bit the genius Clark is, but you've got a real knack for technology. You should be in a place where you can use your real skills."

"Clark liked working at the Daily Planet," Kara said. "He enjoyed writing and the hunt for a good scoop. It wasn't just convenient for Superman."

Chris turned to face them again. "What are you getting at?"

"Come to work for me," Karen said. "Starrware Labs would be the perfect place for you."

Chris had to admit the offer sounded appealing. The very thought of working in a lab at Starrware made his brain salivate. Then again…

"And it would make it easier for you to keep an eye on me, too," Chris added.

"Oh, come on, Chris. Don't be like that," Karen said.

"Fine! I like that idea. Ok? It's just…I need to think about it. And all I can think about right now is how Zod broke out."

Sensing she had gained some ground, Karen decided to shift gears. "Got any ideas?"

He showed her the silver sunstone. "It fell out of his pocket. I'm trying to figure out what it does." A red icon started flashing on the holographic display.

"What is it?" asked Kara.

"The computer recognizes the design," Chris said. "It's already in the database."

Chris tapped the icon and a new window appeared. A short page of Kryptonian script followed.

"What's a mirror box?" asked Karen.

* * *

Chris, Kara and Karen entered the Sanctum. In the past Clark had used the room to access an artificial personality construct of his biological father, Jor-El. Now it contained a construct of Clark as well.

Chris still hadn't used it yet.

He stepped up to the crystal column and selected one of several sunstone crystals, placed it in a receptacle. On the large, flat wall ahead a three-dimensional personification of Jor-El appeared. The simulation spoke:

"Hello, Lor-El."

"Hello, Grandfather."

The face of Jor-El was a dignified one. He had dark hair with gray temples and a white beard. His accent was aristocratic but gentle, almost soothing.

"General Zod escaped the Phantom Zone again," Chris explained. "I sent him back, but I believe this…" he held up the mirror box, "…is what allowed him to leave. Can you tell me what it is? The computer recognized its design, but there was next to nothing about its function in the database."

Jor-El's expression grew concerned and grave. "It is a piece of outlawed Kryptonian technology called a mirror box. It grants its user access to parallel universes through a form of quantum tunneling."

"Why was it outlawed?" asked Chris.

"Long before your father was born, there was a scientist on Krypton known as Jax-Ur. His dream was to build an interstellar drive capable of reaching other star systems within the Kryptonian lifespan. However, his research was highly theoretical and was deemed too dangerous to pursue by the Science Council. Jax-Ur was defiant and built his propulsion drive in secret. When the time was right, he attached it to an experimental rocket ship and launched it. The subsequent catastrophe resulted in the destruction of Krypton's moon, Wegthor, and the death of five hundred colonists. The Science Council found Jax-Ur guilty of treason and sentenced him to life imprisonment in the Phantom Zone. Thereafter, space travel was outlawed on Krypton."

"Where does the mirror box fit in?"

"The mirror box was a side result of Jax-Ur's experiments with the phenomena of particle entanglement. After his incarceration, all his research was confiscated and sealed away forever." Then Jor-El smiled slyly. "But not before I had a chance to study it. The mirror box only allows travel between universes where there is another version of the same device: when a box is activated in one universe, its counterpart in another is also triggered. The two form a connection stable enough for the transfer of matter from one plane to another. When I discovered Krypton's imminent fate, I finished Jax-Ur's work and built a functional interstellar drive to carry your infant father to safety."

"So the original mirror box was destroyed when Krypton exploded," Chris said.

"Yes," replied Jor-El. "The only one capable of reproducing it is Jax-Ur himself."

"I remember Jax-Ur," said Chris. "From when I lived in the Phantom Zone. It stands to reason he could have built a new mirror box and given it to Zod."

"The Phantom Zone is not a parallel universe, Lor-El," Jor-El said. "It is a pocket continuum, a piece of our universe that died in infancy and clung to its surface like a tumor. As such it is subject to the laws of quantum mechanics. Beings sent to the zone are called 'Phantoms' because they are both alive and dead, which makes physical existence as you know it impossible."

"But I was born there," Chris said. "There are pockets of normal space inside the zone, little islands of stability that have been pushed through. I think Zod and Jax-Ur may have found another one of those pockets and made this."

"If you are right, then Earth faces the threat of invasion from the Phantom Zone."

"Aw, not again," whined Karen, crossing her arms.

"Grandfather, is there a way to access the data in this mirror box?" Chris asked. "If its counterpart was destroyed with Krypton then it must use some other means to tunnel through the continuum."

"Place it in the column," Jor-El instructed.

Chris inserted the mirror box into an empty slot. The image of Jor-El was superimposed with scrolling lines of Kryptonian computer code.

"Most fascinating," said Jor-El. "You are correct, Lor-El. This mirror box is a new design. It can move matter across universes without having to connect with a counterpart."

"Can you tell me how it works?"

"You are aware our Multiverse consists of fifty-two parallel worlds and their associated timelines," Jor-El began. "In the language of mathematics, each universe represents a different point of amplitude on a single wave of probability. These points are called wave functions. This mirror box is designed to use those wave functions as a means of computation. The process eliminates all wave functions representing a false output until only one true output is found. Every unwanted output is then used as points of reference while the one desired output serves as a destination."

"This thing can map the Multiverse?" exclaimed Karen.

"Precisely. It is programmed to include the individual wave function of the user in its computations. When the desired output is calculated, the wave function of the user changes to match the desired output."

"And the user is transported to the same location via quantum tunneling," finished Chris.

"There is more," said Jor-El. "This is not the only mirror box Jax-Ur has built. It is exchanging data with six other units currently in operation, all outside the Phantom Zone."

"What!" exclaimed Kara. "Other prisoners have already escaped?"

"We would've heard something by now," Karen said.

"They are not in our universe," said Jor-El. "They are elsewhere, in other universes beyond our local Multiverse."

"What are you saying, Uncle Jor-El?" asked Kara. "That there's more than one Multiverse?"

"That is correct."

"I've read papers by Max Tegmark from Princeton," Chris said. "He theorizes there could be a Multiverse of Multiverses, whole levels of existence stacked one on top of the other."

"And so it is, Lor-El. And it is into this Multiverse of Multiverses that the prisoners have escaped."

A sudden thought struck Chris. "Who? _Who_ escaped?"

He rushed through the Fortress to the Projector Chamber. The Phantom Zone projector had been one of the first things his dad built after constructing the Fortress by studying blueprints in the database. It consisted of two pieces: a large, ovular screen and a smaller, round projector the size of an old television cathode tube. Alone, the screen functioned as a window into the Phantom Zone.

Chris manipulated the controls along the edge of the screen then accessed another holographic window.

"What's the matter?" asked Kara as she and Karen entered the chamber.

"Which six inmates escaped?" asked Chris again. "Before my dad left Earth, he put his worst remaining enemies in the Phantom Zone. _Six_ of them! He programmed the Fortress sensor array to keep track of them all."

One by one, each name on the list turned red along with a status line:

**Doomsday: NOT FOUND**

** Bizarro: NOT FOUND**

** Darkseid: NOT FOUND**

** Brainiac: NOT FOUND**

** Parasite: NOT FOUND**

Karen's face went ash white. "They're all gone!"

"Every single villain my father put away before he left is out now," said Chris darkly.

"You said there were six," Kara said. "Who's the last one?"

**Joker: NOT FOUND**

"Oh, Rao," whispered Kara. "He put the Joker in the Phantom Zone?"

"After what he did to my mom, even Batman didn't argue," Chris said.

"So now he's out," said Karen. "Loose in an alternate universe."

Chris balled his fists, felt his heart swell in his chest. "Not for long."

* * *

They returned to the Sanctum. Chris asked:

"Grandfather, can our mirror box be used to track and follow the Phantom Zone escapees?"

"It is possible," Jor-El replied. "But communication between universes is impossible without a mirror box. If you intend to pursue the escapees, you will be on your own."

"I understand."

"Wait a minute, Chris," Karen said. "You can't go by yourself."

"I have to," Chris said. "You two are needed here. Someone has to cover for me in Metropolis and with the League."

"But these are Clark's heaviest hitters," Kara said. "It took him years to put them all away."

"No, it took him a week," Chris said. "Why do you think he finally started using the Phantom Zone projector? When dad decided to leave, he wanted to make protecting the world as easy for us as possible."

"But—"

"I know neither of you think I can do it," said Chris. "But I can."

"It's not that," Karen said. "Clark wouldn't have passed on the cape unless he had faith in you."

Chris looked Karen straight in the eyes. "Then you know why I have to do this."

She sighed and nodded. "Yea. I guess so."

He turned back to the image of his grandfather. "Jor-El, how long will it take to modify the mirror box?"

"The data stream is encrypted," he said. "I estimate it will take less than two hours to break at maximum processing speeds."

"I need to get going as soon as possible," Chris said.

"It will be done, Grandson."

* * *

Chris watched the aurora borealis fill the twilight sky from the southern balcony. He used to come out here and turn his telescopic vision heavenward to try and find his father. Chris wondered how far away he was by now. Was he still in the Milky Way, or was he further out in the void between galaxies? What had he seen? What wonders would be bring back? Would he ever come back at all?

Chris returned to the Sanctum and found one of the newer sunstones his father had made especially for him. He swallowed hard and plugged it in.

The wall ahead shimmered and his father's face appeared before him.

"Hello, Christopher," the simulation said.

"Hi, dad."

"This is the first time you've accessed my simulation. According to my internal clock, I've been absent almost a year."

"I was afraid to talk to you," Chris said.

"Why, son?"

"Because...I miss you. I wish you were here."

"I am here, Chris."

"It's not the same." Chris swallowed the lump in his throat. "Why, dad? Why did you leave? I know losing mom was bad, but I was still here. Why did you have to leave me?"

"There are so many things I wanted to tell you, Chris," Clark said. "Things I didn't know how to say when I was with you. Lois, your mother, she was my strongest link to the Earth. Without her, Earth just seemed so empty. After all the hard work I did to make the world a safer place for my family, I still failed to protect her. It dawned on me that maybe it was time for someone to take my place."

Chris couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Are you saying you left Earth so I could be Superman?"

"In a sense. Life as Clark Kent was becoming tedious, so I started spending more time as Superman. After a while, I realized how bitter and reclusive I was becoming. Superman can't be misanthropic. He belongs to the people of the world. I couldn't fill that responsibility anymore, but I knew you could. I always knew you would replace me one day, Chris. You're everything the Man of Steel should be."

Chris felt hot tears welling up in his eyes and tried blinking them away.

"There's something else, dad," Chris said. "The six villains you sent to the Phantom Zone. They broke out using a device called a mirror box. They're all in different parallel universes. I have to go after them."

His father's simulation was silent for a moment. "Including the Joker?"

Chris nodded. "Including the Joker."

A look of disgust clouded his father's features. "Be careful handling him, son. Out of all the rest, Joker is by far the most dangerous. He doesn't need superpowers to hurt you. It's his _inhumanity_ that makes him powerful."

"I understand."

"I know you must feel overwhelmed," Clark said. "But you are ready, Chris. I have faith in you."

"Thanks, dad."

"Looking at you now, a grown man wearing our family seal, reminds me of an old Kryptonian proverb. When I was your age I didn't understand it. Now I realize it's what I should have said a long time ago. 'You will make my strength your own. You will see my life through your eyes, as your life will be seen in mine. The son becomes the father…'"

They finished the final line together.

"'The father becomes the son.'"

Chris pulled the crystal out of the console and tucked it away in a pocket on the inside of his cape. His father's image disappeared.

"You didn't tell him about Zod," Kara said.

"There was nothing to tell."

"Chris, you just threw him back into the tear without hesitation," Kara said. "Don't tell me you didn't feel anything."

"I didn't," he said coolly. "The whole time we fought I felt numb inside. But I did what I had to do—what Superman would have done." Chris walked up to Kara and took her hand. "Zod isn't my family, Kara. You are."

He gave her hand a squeeze before turning back to the crystal console. He tapped his grandfather's simulation crystal and the wall flickered as his program woke up.

"Is the mirror box ready, Grandfather?"

"Yes, Lor-El. I have reprogrammed it to follow the trail of the six Phantom Zone prisoners. However, there is a problem. Time is not simultaneous across every plane. You will reach the same locations as your targets, but it may be days before or days after their own arrival."

"So I may arrive ahead or behind them in time," Chris said. "That'll be tricky."

"Because of this temporal dilation, you will be able to spend as much time as is required to capture all the escapees and return to the Fortress within seconds of your original time of departure."

"A few weeks for me, a few seconds for you," Chris said. "I guess you and Karen won't be missing me after all, Kara."

"Just be careful," she said. "I'll be waiting here if you need me."

Chris nodded. "I'll be back before you know it."

Chris pulled the mirror box from the console. Its Kryptonian script glowed and moved seamlessly across the silver surface of the crystal. The glyphs rotated, swapped places and rotated again until the correct configuration was locked in. Chris felt his body become statically charged. His very bones seemed to vibrate with the power of the mirror box. The Fortress was fading away in a bright suffusion of light.

As if from a distance he heard his grandfather's voice:

"Good luck, Grandson."

And then Superman vanished from reality.


	4. Chapter 3 - Back to School

**Chapter 3 – Back to School**

Superman couldn't tell how long the trip took but it felt almost instantaneous. Supergirl and the Fortress had disappeared, and he found himself standing in an open glade. The sky was an unusual aquamarine color, and he could hear the waves of an ocean crashing against the cliffs nearby. He inspected the mirror box. It was dormant, now. He had no way of knowing if he had arrived ahead of his quarry or after or who his target in this universe was.

First, he took note of his surroundings. At a glance it seemed like a dismal place. There were headstones sticking up randomly everywhere, and the surrounding trees looked sick and twisted. The branches were filled with flocks of crows with unblinking, burning red eyes. It was like he had stepped into the twisted imagination of Edgar Allan Poe.

He decided to try a higher vantage point and rose to hover above the treetops. Less than a mile to his left he saw two stone towers rising above another clearing. The gothic architecture reminded him of the Notre Dame in France. To his right the land ended at a steep hill. Below was a road that ran along the edge of a cliff. Below that was an ocean of red liquid that could have been a sea of blood crashing against jagged rocks.

Superman touched down on this road, drawn to inspect a scarecrow with a Jack-o-Lantern for a head. Hanging around its neck was a clipboard with a bus schedule. It was written in Japanese.

"So I'm in Japan," Chris said to himself. He took another look around. _Or at least a version of it,_ he thought._ Looks like those three semesters of Japanese are going to pay off after all._

He took flight again and flew toward the gothic towers. Chris was debating his next course of action. Should he announce himself as Superman or try to pass himself off as Chris Kent? If this world already had a Superman, adding another could cause problems. What if there were no superheroes here at all? A bulletproof man with heat vision could incite instant panic.

The decision was made for him when his super hearing picked up screams of fright coming from the direction of the towers. It sounded like a fight was about to go down.

_"Holy crap,"_ he heard a girl's voice say. _"Fish-boy's a Dagon!"_

He didn't like the sound of that. Using his x-ray vision to pierce the trees blocking his view and zooming in with his telescopic vision, Chris was horrified to see a monstrous creature with scales and claws stalking a defenseless high school boy.

_"Die, Tsukune Aono!"_

Superman picked up his pace and arrived just in time to see the monster spit a long, pointed dart at the young man. It was moving fast enough to impale him straight through the chest! Chris concentrated and used his heat vision to vaporize the barb just scant seconds before it reached its target.

The fish creature was stunned. "What the…"

"Up here," called Superman in Japanese.

"Hey, look," someone shouted, pointing at Chris, "up in the sky!"

The fish creature turned its large, round eyes upward and saw Superman hovering in the air above. Chris analyzed the situation quickly. There were civilians everywhere, all of them teenagers it seemed. He would either have to lure the monster away and take him out where nobody would get hurt or risk fighting him here. The latter would have to be hard and fast to minimize the chance of collateral damage. He already had a battle plan for either contingency.

"I don't know what your problem is," Superman said, "but you're going to stop this foolishness right now!"

The fish monster replied in Japanese. "Beat it, punk, this isn't your fight."

The creature's audacity made him furious. He put himself between the creature's intended victim, the one named Tsukune Aono, and the monster called the Dagon.

"I'd hardly call this a fight," Superman said, hoping to intimidate the Dagon into standing down. "You're trying to kill a defenseless teenager."

"So? Watz'it ta you?"

Unknowingly, the Dagon answered one of Chris's questions. It obviously didn't know Superman.

"Everything," he said. "I fight for those who can't defend themselves."

An arrogant smirk crossed the Dagon's slimy, puffy lips. "How noble. _"I'll carve that on your headstone!"_

Superman picked up on the Dagon's body language. It was going to attack. He remained immovable as it leapt at him, its formidable claws outstretched to slash is flesh. By now Superman knew he was dealing with an impulsive being with the emotional maturity of a playground bully. He simply held out his hand and flicked his middle finger against its forehead.

Despite its amphibious appearance, the Dagon's skull was remarkably thick. The slam of his finger against the bone of its skull felt like hardened granite. The creature went sailing back and hit the ground like a sack of flower, its body limp. He did a quick x-ray: no broken bones or ruptured blood vessels. It was simply dazed.

Superman levitated a few inches above the Dagon's chest.

"Have we learned our lesson?" he asked.

The Dagon's tongue lolled in and out of its mouth. "Uh, yea," it mumbled. "Don't pick on the little guy."

"Good," Superman said. "Remember that while I'm here." Then he added. "Or I'll be back."

He turned away from the defeated Dagon and touched down. Spotting Tsukune, he walked up to him and the group of girls he was with.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

"Y-yea," Tsukune stuttered. "A lot better than the other guy anyway."

Superman followed their gaze back to the Dagon, which was shrinking. Its scaly skin was disappearing and its hands and feet lost their claws and webbing. Within seconds he looked completely human!

"Amazing," said Superman. "Is he some kind of shape-shifter?"

His question seemed to confuse the group.

"You're not from around here, are you?" asked a fair, pink-haired girl.

"Actually, no," he replied with an embarrassed smile. "I'm just passing through."

This was an unusual reaction. Most people were hysterical after a monster attack. Chris had seen it many times in the past, even before he became Superman. He said:

"No offense, but you all seem to be holding it together pretty well after almost being attacked by a giant fish creature."

A little girl no more than twelve spoke up. "It's kind of business as usual."

So monster attacks were common on this Earth, but there was no version of Superman. Interesting…

"Then this may sound like a loaded question, but have you noticed anything odd lately?" asked Superman.

"You want a list?" Tsukune asked.

Chris laughed. "Ha. I guess I asked for that. What I'm getting at is that I'm looking for someone. Someone like me, I guess, who doesn't seem to belong."

Another one of the girls, one wearing a yellow sweater and red bow, replied, "Uh, no we haven't seen anybody like you before. Where did you come from anyway? Are you, like a student here or something?"

Now Superman felt confused. "Student?" he asked. "Is this place some kind of school?"

"Of course, it is," she said. "You mean you've never heard of Yokai Academy?"

"I'm afraid not."

He examined the gothic façade, thinking it looked more like a medieval fortress than a place of learning.

_I need to learn more about this place, but I'll have to blend in._

Superman finally noticed the crowd that had gathered around him, hundreds of curious eyes gawking at him. He had really made a spectacle of himself.

"I think I'd better get going," Superman said. He gave them a wave goodbye as he began to rise.

"Wait a second," Tsukune Aono said. "Who are you?"

Chris decided the less these people knew, the better. He smiled and simply replied, "A friend."

He accelerated into the sky, making sure he was out of their sight before making a loop and coming back down on the other side of the school. He landed on a flat portion of the roof and began examining the building with his x-ray vision.

His mission had inadvertently become that much more complicated. Apparently he had stumbled onto a special school exclusively for monsters! Superman quickly scanned the whole area using every mode of his vision and saw wild magical energy everywhere he looked. So he was in a predominantly magical universe. He would have to tread lightly from now on. As far as his vulnerabilities were concerned, magic was right up there with kryptonite. Superman found the boys locker room and managed to slip inside through an open window.

The first-period gym class had recently utilized the room, so the lockers were stocked with clothes. The school uniforms here consisted of khakis and a green suit jacket with white trim along the lapels.

He mixed and matched the clothing from several different lockers until he looked presentable. He always wore clothes that were a size or two too large—it was a method his dad had also used so he could wear his costume underneath everyday clothing. It had the effect of concealing the outfit while giving others the impression of his being overweight.

He found a pair of black plastic glasses. Using his heat vision he cut two glass pieces from the window and replaced the prescription lenses with flat ones. Chris looked himself over in the mirror, trying to think of anything else. He wetted his hands in the sink and ran his fingers through his hair, giving it a slick, messy appearance.

Chris's demeanor would have to do the rest. Half the disguise was appearance. The rest was personality.

He left the locker room and started looking for the central office, mingling with the other students as he did so. The décor inside was beautiful, almost like a palace with many arches, staircases and intricate molding. Every so often he did a quick glance with his x-ray vision to glimpse beneath the human surface of those around him. As Chris suspected, he had stumbled upon a high school for monsters disguised as human teenagers!

The episode in the front courtyard was still on everyone's lips, speculation about the "Red Cape Guy" being the hot topic of discussion. Chris hunched his shoulders and stuffed his hands in his pockets. Despite being a new face, he drew very little attention. The thing about Superman was that, unlike other superheroes, he didn't wear a mask. Nobody suspected he had a secret identity to protect. It made moving among regular people that much easier.

He spotted a sign that said "Main Office" in Japanese. Chris went inside. Behind a counter was a young woman with dark brown hair. She must have been a Goth chick because her outfit consisted of a frilly black skirt, ripped arm stockings and a stylized corset. Her almond shaped eyes were an unusual shade of reddish-pink.

"Hello, there," she said. "You must be new. I'm Ruby Tojo."

"My name is Christopher Kent," he said. "I'm supposed to start school today."

"I didn't know we had an exchange student coming," Ruby said. "Let me double check our records."

She disappeared into another room for a several minutes. Chris heard the opening and closing of many metal filing cabinets. She returned empty handed.

"I'm sorry but I can't find anything," Ruby said. "What was the name of your previous school?"

"Ellsworth School in Metropolis," Chris blurted out. He wondered too late if it even existed here.

Ruby put a finger to her chin. "Hm. I've never heard of it. Is it a human school, by any chance?"

"Uh…yes. Yes it is."

"Oh, well that might explain things. Records from the human world tend to get lost in transit a lot. But don't worry, I'll fix everything. Now what year are you?"

"Junior."

"You look older," Ruby said. "Like a college guy."

_Think fast, Chris_, he thought to himself.

"I, uh…I get that a lot. I just…hit a big growth spurt last summer."

This seemed to satisfy her. Ruby opened a large book and flipped through the pages. "Excellent! We can put you in Miss Nekonome's homeroom class." She jotted down a class schedule on a piece of stiff paper. "Students in the same homeroom also share the same schedule. Come and find me if you have any questions."

"Thank you." He took and card and turned to leave but stopped halfway through the door. "Ah, excuse me? Where exactly is Miss..." he looked at the card, "…Miss Nekonome's room?"

* * *

Chris stood outside the door to classroom 2-1, Miss Nekonome's homeroom. He was feeling nervous. School was hard the first time around, especially with his superpowers still developing throughout his formative teenage years. Most boys that age only had to worry about inconvenient swelling in their pants when all they wanted was to make it to first base. Throw heat vision into the mix, and you had a recipe for disaster. Thank Rao he finally grew into himself by the time he started college.

He slid the door open. A woman behind a podium was taking roll.

"Um, excuse me," Chris said meekly. "Is this Miss Nekonome's class?"

"Why, yes, I'm Miss Nekonome. And who are you, young man?"

She had unusual catlike features, specifically a pair of feline ears partially hidden by her medium-length blond hair.

Chris cleared his throat. "My name's Christopher Kent. I'm…ah, I'm a transfer student here."

"Really?" asked Miss Nekonome, her catlike ears twitching atop her head. "I wasn't expecting a new student, _meow_."

He explained how the office still hadn't received his records.

"Oh, dear. How unfortunate. Well, I'm sure we'll get everything straightened out eventually. In the meantime welcome to Yokai Academy, Mr. Kent! And I must say your Japanese is excellent."

Despite her feline qualities, her enthusiastic personality put Chris at ease. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. He could hold on to this charade for a day or two. Any longer and people would start to dig deeper and figure out he wasn't really supposed to be here at all.

"Everyone this is Christopher Kent, our new transfer student from America! Why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself, Mr. Kent?"

Suddenly his heart was in his throat. _Crap, what now? The truth, maybe?_

"There's not much to tell really," Chris said. "I'm just a city kid from Metropolis."

"Does that mean your old school was a human school?" asked one guy in the front row.

Chris thought that was an odd question. "Well…yea. I grew up around humans."

"Wow, no wonder you're a spaz."

_Yup, this is definitely high school._

"Now, now, that was uncalled for," scolded Miss Nekonome. "Since Mr. Kent is starting late I expect you to give him all the help he needs to get caught up. You can take the desk next to Mr. Aono, Christopher."

He spotted the kid from the courtyard, the one he'd saved from the Dagon. In fact, all the girls he'd seen with Tsukune that morning were in the same class as well. Chris hoped his act was convincing at close range. Keeping his head down and shoulders slumped he took his seat.

As Miss Nekonome finished taking attendance, Tsukune leaned over and introduced himself.

"Hi, I'm Tsukune." He motioned to the cute pink-haired girl behind him. "This is Moka."

_Strange,_ thought Chris. Tsukune was the only one in the whole class who didn't have an aura of magical energy surrounding him. Was he human or something else?

"Hi, Chris," Moka said. "Welcome to Japan."

"Thanks," he mumbled.

The friendly warmth radiating from her was a welcome relief.

"That's Kurumu behind you," Tsukune said.

Chris turned and half-smiled at the blue-haired girl with the enormous rack. She must have had on two or three layers of clothing and they were still impressive. Although her assets likely got her the most attention, Chris was captivated by her blue hair.

"So where is Metropolis, the city you're from?" she asked. "I've never heard of it."

Chris again decided honestly was the best route. The most convincing lie was the one with the most truth in it. "East Coast. Along Delaware Bay. You can see New Jersey from my parent's apartment building."

"That's really cool," Kurumu said. "What brought you to Japan?"

"Um, well, there aren't many schools in America built for…built for…ah, _us._ People like us."

"You mean monsters," Moka said.

"Yea. Exactly. I thought it might be cool to go to school with other monsters. Like me."

_Geez, undercover work is exhausting._

A tinny female voice said, "You seem kind of old to be a junior."

Chris gazed blankly at the twelve-year-old girl sitting in the desk ahead of Tsukune, the one wearing a brown cape and pointed hat.

"You seem kind of young to be in high school," Chris retorted. "Period."

"Don't mind Yukari," the girl ahead of Chris said. She had pale skin and glassy eyes and was sucking on a lollipop. It wasn't just his imagination when he felt a chill run down his spine. "She skipped two grades, so she thinks she's hot shit."

"You wish you were as hot as me," Yukari mumbled. "Literally."

"So, Chris," lollipop girl said, "you don't know anyone here?"

He shook his head.

"Gee, that must be tough on you," Moka said. Then her face lit up. "You should totally come hang out with the Newspaper Club."

"The what?" he asked.

"We're all on the school newspaper," Tsukune said. "We have a really great time working on it. You should come check it out."

_As long as I'm not the coffee runner._

"Yea, I'd like that."

After taking attendance, Miss Nekonome announced it was time for the English exam.

"I hope you all studied hard," she said. "Chris, you can skip this one if you'd like."

"No, ma'am. I'll be fine."

"Suit yourself. I like your 'can-do' attitude, young man. Good luck!"

_Damn. Six minutes and I'm already teacher's pet. What happened to low-profile?_

He completed the test in record time. He was a little surprised. He hadn't seen material like this since his third semester in college, but then again, Japanese schools were famous for their rigorous curriculum.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Moka asked Chris an hour and a half later.

Homeroom was over and they were on their way to their next class.

"I guess not."

He let the conversation lapse.

"You're not much of a talker, are you?" she probed.

"Less chance I might say something stupid," Chris replied.

"Y'know you should try having a better attitude," Tsukune said. "Otherwise you'll miss out on all the good stuff about school."

"Sorry," Chris said earnestly. "I don't mean to be a drag. I guess I'm still going through an adjustment period. So let me get this straight, we're not allowed to show anyone our monster form while we're in school?"

"That's the biggest rule at Yokai Academy," Kurumu said.

Yukari butted in. "It's also the most frequently broken. Hardly a day goes by that someone doesn't slip. You should have been here this morning."

Chris played dumb. "Really? What happened?"

"Basically a Dagon tried to pick a fight with Tsukune, and a flying man in a red cape beat the snot out of it," Mizore said.

"And that's irregular? Teenagers morphing into supernatural creatures is business as usual but a flying man in a cape is big news?"

"It's just that nobody knows where he came from or what kind of monster he is," Kurumu said. "And the way he stood up for Tsukune has got everybody talking."

"Maybe that should be the cover story for the next edition of the Yokai Gazette," Moka suggested. "School bullying is a serious issue."

"That's a great idea, Moka," said Tsukune. "Raising awareness about bullies is really noble."

"Speaking of," Mizore said with just a hint of urgency, "Moka's bitchy little sister is about to bring the hammer down."

Chris's super senses had already picked up on micro-vibrations in the floor, like someone was running towards them very quickly, and he heard the labored breathing of a runner fast approaching from behind. The students around them looked like they were waiting in anticipation and most had backed up against the walls. It didn't take a genius to put it all together:

They were about to be attacked.

Chris pretended to trip on a shoelace and crashed into Tsukune, who crashed into Moka, just as a girl with fluffy orange pigtails leapt out of nowhere and swung a heavy metal hammer a hundred times her weight over her head and into the floor. The impact left a crater in the spot where Moka stood only seconds before. Chris had misjudged. Moka was the intended victim this time, not Tsukune.

"You clumsy jerk," yelled the girl at Chris. "I had her in my sights!"

She was almost the size of Yukari and wore a red sailor outfit with a plaid mini skirt. If he'd heard correctly this was Moka's little sister. Her voice was loud and obnoxious, like her attitude.

"Kokoa, don't do this now," Moka pleaded. "There are people everywhere. Someone could get hurt."

"I like an audience. It makes me fight harder!" Kokoa picked up her enormous hammer, ready for another go.

Chris lowered his glasses slightly and used his heat vision to make the metal grip too hot to handle.

"Yeeeoww!" Kokoa screamed as she let her hammer fall. "What the hell was that? Why did my hammer get so hot?" She gave them all murderous looks.

"Everybody run for your lives!" Yukari yelled.

Pandemonium ensued. Students were running every which way to escape Kokoa's fury. The _enfant terrible_ merely stomped through the crowd, knocking people out of her path left and right. Tsukune grabbed Chris's arm.

"C'mon, we gotta go!"

"Man, I don't get this school," Chris said exasperated.

"Chris, watch out!" warned Kurumu.

It was too late. Kokoa landed a flying kick in between his shoulder blades. He hit the ground so hard the building shook. Despite her size this girl was very strong.

The mirror box slipped out of his inside jacket pocket and skidded across the floor.

Kokoa kept pressing her shoe into Chris's back. "I already know what powers these other lameo's have, and none of them could have made my hammer so hot I couldn't touch it, so that leaves you."

"I didn't do anything to your toy," Chris grunted.

Kokoa saw the mirror box and left Chris to pick it up. She held it up and shook it in front of his face.

"Speaking of toys, what's this supposed to be?"

"It's of no value to you," he said as he got to his feet. "Give it back."

"Finders keepers," taunted Kokoa.

"Lay off, Bitchy Longstocking," Mizore said as she extended her ice claws. "He didn't do anything wrong so just beat it."

Chris suddenly found himself surrounded by backup.

"Either he admits what he did or I crush this into dust," Kokoa threatened.

Chris just smirked. "Go ahead. Try."

His sudden boldness surprised everyone. "Huh?"

"That crystal is made of the strongest materials in the universe. You could hammer on it all day and it wouldn't leave a scratch. I doubt a little girl like you even has the stamina."

Kokoa stamped her foot like a child in a tantrum. "Who do you think you're talking to? I'm an S-class supermonster. I can crush diamonds!" Just to prove her point she squeezed the mirror box.

Nothing happened.

"Huh? Hey what gives…" She squeezed harder, visibly gritting her teeth with the effort. She tried it one handed, two handed. She tried jumping on it, twisting it, banging it on the floor.

Chris just smiled. "Now let me show you the real trick." He held out his open hand and called to the mirror box using his mind. The silver crystal flew out of Kokoa's grip and into his waiting grasp. "This technology is telepathically responsive, which means I'm the only one who can use it."

Kokoa did not look impressed. "Hmph. Nice trick. So you're some kind of wizard. Big deal. _I'm still gonna crush you all!_"

"I've had it with her," Mizore said. She froze Kokoa solid.

Moka looked horrified. "Mizore, I can't believe you just did that!"

"I can't believe you didn't do it sooner," said Chris. "Nice work."

"Ice sculptures are my specialty," she said.

Moka gently tapped the hardened ice encasing her sister. "She'll thaw out, right?"

Chris could see the chemical composition of the ice with his microvision. The condensation was similar to the cryogenic solution used in Mr. Freeze's freeze gun.

"Knowing Kokoa she'll probably shake it off in an hour or so," Tsukune said.

They heard the bell ring throughout the building.

"Just great, now we're late for PE," said Kurumu. "Let's hurry before we're tardy!"

They split up and headed for their respective locker rooms. Chris laughed to himself. He could hear Kokoa mumbling obscenities through the ice.

"So what do you think of Yokai Academy so far?" Tsukune asked as they entered the boys' locker room.

"It definitely isn't dull," Chris said. "The girls are pretty aggressive."

"You get used to it. They're actually really affectionate one you get to know them."

"Thanks for not asking me, by the way," Chris said.

"Ask you what?"

"If I really made Kokoa drop her hammer," Chris said.

"Wait a second, that really was you?"

Chris nodded and sat down on a bench. "The truth is I have all kinds of special abilities. When I was growing up they made life really difficult. Being in a place like this makes me feel like I can drop my disguise."

"What disguise?" asked Tsukune.

"The truth is," Chris said, "I'm not a monster, Tsukune. I have about as much in common with the people here as you do."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I know you're human. Don't worry your secret's safe. I only know because the whole EM spectrum is visible to me. Monsters have an aura of magic around them. You don't."

"That's actually really cool. So how can you see magic if you're not a monster?"

"Under a yellow sun I develop a wide range of superpowers. Everyone from my homeworld does."

"You mean you're an alien?"

"In more ways than one," Chris said.

A high pitched ringing echoed throughout the locker room. Chris pulled the mirror box out of his pocket. The crystal was glowing, its Kryptonian script spinning across the surface.

"What is that thing?" asked Tsukune.

"It's a warning. Someone's coming."


	5. Chapter 4 - Bizarro and a Vampire

**Chapter 4 – Bizarro and a Vampire**

Ruby smiled in self-satisfaction. Her tracking spell was working perfectly. Using her wand as a tracking device, she followed an invisible trail of exotic energy away from school grounds, eventually ending up at the bus stop. Walking up a hill, she came to an open glade in the forest. When the violet gem in her wand stopped blinking and steadily glowed, Ruby knew she had reached the point where the barrier was originally bypassed. There was a greater concentration of exotic energy here than anywhere else, but it wasn't magic in nature.

Now that she had more to work with she could cast a stronger location spell and find the culprit. Ruby cast a spell of revelation which revealed an invisible scar, a jagged white line in the intangible empty space of the glade.

"So that's how they bypassed the great barrier," she said to herself. "They took a shortcut through another dimension."

The intruder would have all kinds of crazy energy clinging to him. Finding him would be easier than she thought. Before Ruby could get down to business, the illuminated scar flickered and began to split open. The space beyond was a swirling, abysmal darkness that drew the air into it like a vacuum. A pair of hands reached out and grasped the edges of the tear and forced them open wider! The next thing Ruby knew there was a garish figure standing before her, a monster the likes of which she had never seen.

Its skin was chalk white, its crooked teeth yellow. It was human in form but with large, rippling muscles accentuated by its alternating purple and violet bodysuit. It had some kind of round disk hanging from its neck, like a dog tag. Engraved on its surface was BIZARRO #1.

"This am not Metropolis," Bizarro said. He looked down at Ruby. "Where am here?"

"Uhm…Yokai Academy?"

Bizarro still looked confused. "Am you Lois?"

"No. My name's Ruby."

Bizarro huffed in frustration, clearly annoyed. It had the body of an adult but the mind and speech of a child. Ruby wondered if it was even self-aware.

"Bizarro must find Lois. Must find ice palace." Again, he looked at Ruby the way a child might look at a parent for guidance. "You know where ice palace?"

"No. I'm sorry."

The creature scratched his head and shrugged. "Bizarro find home. Bye, bye." He levitated off the ground, slowly ascending into the air. "Up, up and away!"

"Hey, wait!" Ruby said.

The creature paid her no attention, simply accelerated over the treetops until she lost sight of it. For a moment, Ruby was too stunned for words. She shook her head as if to purge an unpleasant thought and frowned.

"What the hell was that?"

* * *

The girls' locker room was not Moka's favorite place to be. For one, it meant getting half naked in front of a bunch of other girls, and she was a little too self-conscious for her own good. Moka called it being humble. Kurumu called it being a prude.

She shed her clothes and in the process of changing into her school PE uniform, Mizore asked her about her outburst that morning.

"So, Moka, what was all that crap about rushing Tsukune to choose a girlfriend?"

Kurumu butted in. "Yea, what's the big deal? Feeling overwhelmed by the competition?"

"Um, no, it's not that," Moka said. "It's just…"

"What's the matter, Moka?" asked Yukari. "You look really upset."

Moka crossed her arms, fingered the rosary resting on her chest. "Don't any of you think about what it's going to be like after high school?" she asked. "I mean, Tsukune can't be a part of our world forever. Eventually he'll have to go back to the human world. What are we going to do then?"

Mizore, Kurumu and Yukari looked as if the thought had never crossed their minds.

"So what are you saying?" Kurumu asked accusingly. "You want Tsukune to choose one of us so he can spend the rest of his time with her?"

"Well don't you?"

Kurumu was stumped into silence, a very rare achievement on Moka's part.

"C'mon you guys," said Yukari. "Let's just get through PE."

They finished changing and went outside to the soccer field.

* * *

Werewolves were renowned for their incredible speed, which made sports like tennis a breeze for Ginei Morioka. Even in human form he dominated the court, always exactly where the ball was going to be before it hit the ground. His current opponent, Haiji Miyamoto, was almost equally skilled. His prowess in the martial arts gave him superior hand-eye coordination and flexibility.

It also helped the two were fiercely competitive, especially when it came to the affections of a particular female academy graduate.

Ginei laughed as his friendly rival failed to intercept the ball. "You're slow today," he taunted.

"I'm only warming up."

"Well, don't take too long," Ginei said as he bounced the tennis ball with his racket. "I'd hate to embarrass you in front of your club mates."

Haiji was president of the Yokai Academy Karate Club, and many of his fellow club members were also on the court. Haiji just smirked confidently. He knew Ginei was only trying to goad him into playing a better game.

"It's probably a good thing the rest of the Newspaper Club isn't here this morning to hear you make such a boast since their president is about to get his ass handed to him," he replied.

"We'll see about that!"

Ginei served. Their match lasted another five minutes, both seniors working up a fierce sweat. It was time for the students to rotate, but the match between Ginei and Haiji continued. Most of the other students and the teacher on the court had stopped playing and were cheering on the two seniors. The score was 4-3. Haiji had a one point lead. Ginei could still win the match. He sent the ball whistling across the net. Haiji was too far away. He leaped to intercept it!

Then something dropped out of the sky like a bomb straight onto the court. The earth shifted violently, knocking everyone to the ground. When the dust cleared, a freakishly large creature stood where the center line and net had been.

"Hey!" cried Ginei. "What did you do that for, you jerk? I was about to win!"

The creature looked at Ginei with dim eyes then his expression lit up.

"Jimmy? _Jimmy!_"

The bizarre creature thought it actually knew Ginei and rushed across the court to embrace him in a bone-crushing hug.

"Bizarro happy he find best friend Jimmy!"

Ginei felt the air in his lungs squeezed out of his body like toothpaste. Pretty soon his organs would follow.

"Aw, that's cute, Ginei," Haiji said. "You made a friend."

Ginei's voice was small and breathless. "Cut it out, Haiji, this guy's squeezing me to death!"

Haiji tapped Bizarro on the shoulder. "You may wanna ease up there, big fella. Ginei's a cuddly puppy dog deep down, but he's a fragile one."

"Screw you, Haiji," Ginei said through a squeezed windpipe.

Bizarro abruptly released Ginei. "Ginei?"

Ginei took in a deep breath. His lungs burned furiously. "Holy crap. I never knew breathing could hurt so much."

"You not Jimmy," Bizarro said angrily. "You trick Bizarro!"

Enraged, the white-skinned Bizarro raised his fist and swung at Ginei. Haiji stepped in and tried to block the blow, but could not anticipate the force of Bizarro's punch. It sent him careening into a concrete wall.

"You bastard!" yelled Ginei. He leaped to his feet and delivered a roundhouse kick to Bizarro's face.

Ginei screamed in pain. It felt like he'd rammed his foot into an iron plate. Bizarro grabbed Ginei by the ankle and threw him into the air. The remaining students, already eager for an excuse, morphed into their monster forms.

A member of the Karate Club issued a call to arms.

"That thing has disgraced the Karate Club by dishonoring our president," one student said as he morphed into a bird-like creature with flaming feathers.

Sensing trouble, Bizarro raised his fists. "Bizarro am Superman! Bizarro fight monsters, make safe place for Lois."

"Karate Club! _Attack!_"

None of them stood a chance.

* * *

"What is it? What's wrong?" asked Tsukune.

The glyphs on the mirror box finally locked in place. The crystal was glowing and vibrating in Chris's hand. It was now tracking its cousin used by the Phantom Zone escapee.

He decided to level with Tsukune. "Listen carefully. The real reason I'm here is because one of my father's most dangerous enemies has escaped from prison. It's my job to find him and put him back in the Phantom Zone. Things are probably going to get very dangerous around here, so you need to find the girls and warn the school that they need to evacuate."

The tone in Chris's voice made Tsukune believe him without question.

"Is it that bad?" he asked.

"Depends on who it is," Chris said. "One thing's for sure: it's going to be a heavy hitter no matter what."

A sudden thought struck Tsukune. "It's the Red Cape Guy, isn't it? He's the one you're after."

Chris sighed. At least he'd played his part well. "The less you know the better, Tsukune. Just make sure the girls get somewhere safe."

The locker room shuddered and they heard a loud explosion outside. Chris and Tsukune rushed to the window, and saw the tennis courts had been decimated. A bunch of students were running away from something, and most of them were in their monster forms. The mirror box was going crazy.

"This is it," Chris muttered. He turned and sprinted out the door.

"Wha—_hey wait for me!"_ Tsukune called.

* * *

Kurumu was playing more aggressively than she had in a long time. Moka had really gotten under he skin in the locker room, and this was her way of working through anger. No, she wasn't angry. She was anxious. And afraid. Deep down Kurumu knew Tsukune held a special flame in his heart for Moka, and despite all her flirtations and attempts to extinguish it, that flame was only burning brighter.

_Damn it_, she thought. _What does that little bitch have that I don't?_

Kurumu was a succubus. She could have any man she wanted and more besides. So why couldn't she have this one—this one guy she'd sworn to win over fair and square, without using any of her magical charms?

A simple thought almost broke her concentration. _Maybe I'm just not what he wants_.

She kicked the ball into the net. It sailed past Moka, who was goalie, scoring for her team. Kurumu smiled triumphantly as all the boys and even some of the girls cheered her on. She could see the adoration in their eyes. Now that was exactly the ego boost she needed.

And then Ginei came falling out of the sky like a meteor, hitting the ground with a thump.

Yukari was instantly by his side. "Ginei, what happened?"

"Be afraid," he hissed. "Be very afraid."

* * *

Outside, the wind blew smoke into Chris's face. He used his vortex breath to clear it away and saw a smoldering pit where the tennis courts used to be. There were injured students lying everywhere.

"Whoa, man!" said Tsukune. "What did this?"

Chris followed the trail of destruction, noticing the vibration from the mirror box was getting stronger, and that everyone he saw was running like scared animals in the opposite direction. They came into view of the soccer field, and Chris stopped in his tracks.

A large, hulking figure was standing before Moka. Chris didn't need telescopic vision to know who it was.

"What the hell is that?" Tsukune asked.

"Bizarro," Chris replied.

"He's gonna hurt Moka!" Tsukune took off at a dead run toward the girl.

"Tsukune," Chris called, "you don't know what you're doing!"

Tsukune paid him no mind. He screamed, "Mokaaa!"

* * *

Moka was frozen in place. She felt her knees almost buckle as the tall, pale-skinned creature marched up and gazed down at her.

"You am pretty girl. Pink hair. You am Lois here?"

Its voice was hoarse, deep and grating. It had the grammar of a child just learning how to speak.

"Um, no," she said shakily. "My name's Moka."

"Me am Bizarro." He smiled a proud grin full of crooked teeth.

"I kinda gathered from the name tag," pointing at the large, engraved disk hanging around his neck.

He was unlike any monster she had ever seen before. He was incredibly human-like with chalky skin and dark hair. His muscles bulged from his body like a weightlifter's, filling out his purple and violet costume. Behind him was a visible trail of destruction beginning at the tennis courts and ending at the soccer field. Strewn about where the unconscious bodies of many of Yokai Academy's most powerful students.

He had defeated them all in several minutes. Seeing Moka had temporarily quelled the beast's rage.

Moka swallowed hard and tried to muster her courage. "What kind of monster are you, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Bizarro am no monster. Bizarro am Superman! Superman fight monsters, protect Lois."

_"Hey! What do think you're doing?"_

Kurumu had gotten Bizarro's attention. She, Mizore and Yukari were on the field several yards away. They looked ready for a fight.

"More monsters!" exclaimed Bizarro.

"Oh, no," Moka gasped. "Guys, what are you thinking!"

"We're saving your ass, what's it look like?" Kurumu asked rhetorically.

"Yea, this guy needs a major attitude adjustment," shouted Yukari.

Bizarro put himself between Moka and the other girls, his muscles corded and fists balled at the ready. "Lois stay back. Bizarro protect Lois from bad monsters."

"But Bizarro, they're not trying to hurt me. They're my friends!"

"Run for it, Moka!" shouted Kumuru as she spread her wings and leapt into the air. She extended her razor-sharp claws and dove for Bizarro's face. "C'mon, big boy. _Show me what'cha got!_"

Twin beams of blue light shot from Bizarro's eyes, hitting Kumuru before she even got within striking distance. Her whole body was encased in ice and fell to the ground with a thud.

_I can't believe it, _Moka thought as she watched helplessly._ He froze her solid._

She heard someone across the field call her name. "Mokaaa!"

* * *

"No, Tsukune, stay back!" Moka warned.

Chris put a staying hand on Tsukune's shoulder and pulled him to a stop.

"Let go of me! I've gotta help her."

"You can't help her if you're dead," said Chris.

Something had changed. The timid, bumbling geek was gone, and in his place was…Tsukune didn't know. There was something about his voice, a strength and authority that spoke to him on another level.

"I'll get Bizarro's attention," Chris said. "You grab Moka and the other girls. Make a straight run for it back to the school. I'll take Bizarro as far away as I can and fight him."

"That thing just took out a third of the students. You don't stand a chance without help."

_Dad, I wish you were here,_ Chris thought.

Mizore attacked Bizarro with a barrage of sharp ice crystals. They simply shattered against his impenetrable skin. Bizarro stamped his foot and the earth exploded as an earthquake opened a chasm in the soccer field. Luckily Mizore and Yukari managed to jump away.

"Let me have a whack at him!" cried Yukari as she raised her magic wand.

"No, Yukari, don't!" Chris yelled. Magic was Superman's weakness but because Bizarro was a "perfect imperfect copy" it would only serve to make him stronger. "Your magic will only make Bizarro stronger! He'll feed on it!"

"Ha! I don't think so. Watch and learn, newbie!"

Ignoring his warning, Yukari gave her wand a twirl and cast her favorite offensive spell. A gold washtub materialized out of thin air and fell on Bizarro's head with an audible clang.

The brute shrug it off like it was nothing. Instead, he held it up and licked his lips.

"Uh oh," Yukari said.

Bizarro ate the whole washtub within a few seconds, giving a satisfied belch when he was done.

"Ahh. Now Bizarro ready for round two!"

"Are you kidding me!" Yukari screamed.

With the witch girl fixed in his sights, Bizarro took a deep breath. Chris saw his cheeks glowing with intense heat. He was about to use his flame breath to torch Yukari.

"Hold on, Yukari!" Chris said.

He dashed across the field at superspeed as Bizarro blew a vortex of flame hot enough to melt rock at Yukari.

Nobody was going to die here. Nobody else was going to get hurt. This was his responsibility, his time, his fight.

Chris reached her just in time. He saw Yukari's frightened face turn to confusion as he hugged her close and turned her away from the wall of fire streaming towards them. A moment later, Chris felt the intense heat tickle the back of his neck and face as they were enclosed in a fist of hellfire. His school clothes were burned away instantly leaving only his bodysuit. He grabbed the cape and wrapped it around Yukari, adding another layer of protection.

Finally, it stopped. Chris opened his eyes and saw Yukari staring up at him. There was some soot on her face, but otherwise she had made it through perfectly fine.

Superman stood up and made sure Bizarro saw whom he was dealing with.

"Chris, you…you're…" Yukari couldn't finish her sentence.

"Yea, Yukari," he said with a grin. "I'm the Red Cape Guy."

"You!" Bizarro shouted in rage. "You am no Superman! Bizarro am Superman!

"Run, Yukari," Superman said. "Get with Tsukune and just run. I'll take care of Bizarro."

* * *

Tsukune reached Moka. They embraced tenderly for a moment, thankful they had found each other unharmed.

"Did that thing hurt you?" he asked.

"No. I think it's just confused. Oh, Tsukune, what's happening?"

The air cracked with the sound of battle. Chris and Bizarro were already swapping blows, their fists resonating like cannon fire.

He shook his head in frustration. "We need to get away from here," Tsukune said.

Yukari was running toward them now with Mizore following close behind carrying Kurumu's frozen body over her shoulder.

"Chris is the Red Cape Guy!" Yukari was shouting. "Can you believe it? I mean who saw that coming?"

"Good, you brought Kurumu," said Tsukune. "Let's get inside."

"What about Chris?" asked Moka. "We can't just leave him behind."

The soccer field trembled. Bizarro had grabbed Chris by the head and was pounding him over and over again into the dirt, each impact making a deeper hole.

"Are you kidding?" asked Mizore. "Bizarro's stronger than the whole school combined. If we stay we'll all be killed."

Moka frowned, looking anxious. "I can think of another monster who's that strong." She took Tsukune's hand and placed it over her rosary.

"Moka, are you sure?" he asked.

"Inner Moka can take him on, I know it," she said. "Do it, Tsukune, before it's too late."

Clenching his jaw, Tsukune grasped the metal cross and pulled.

* * *

Chris watched as Yukari and Mizore retreated to the other side of the soccer field then turned his attention back to Bizarro. His mirror box was clipped to his belt on the left side. Chris needed to get that off of him before using his own mirror box to send Bizarro back to his prison.

"Now I understand why my father had to put you in the Phantom Zone," Superman said. "You have the mind a child and the strength of a god. You're too dangerous to set free in any universe."

"Bizarro am no go back to dark place! Bizarro stay!"

Chris attacked first, rushing Bizarro at superspeed and hitting him with a straight jab to the face followed by a left hook and a right cross. The creature took his attacks with more endurance than Chris anticipated. He may have been dumber and slower, but Bizarro was as strong as any other Kryptonian under a yellow sun.

_Wait…a yellow sun…_

Superman took flight in an attempt to get Bizarro to follow him away from Yokai Academy. Instead the brute simply leaped over Chris and sent him crashing back to earth with a double-fisted blow between his shoulder blades. Bizarro landed on Superman's chest, crushing him.

"How do you have powers?" asked Superman. "You should be weak under a yellow sun unless…"

Bizarro flipped his metal nametag around, exposing the sliver of green kryptonite imbedded in it. Instantly Chris felt its lethal radiation burn his skin and turn his blood into acid. His muscles cramped up and refused to work. Using his powers overwhelmed his body with pain. He was helpless.

"Green rock make Bizarro strong. Green rock make not-Superman weak."

Bizarro grabbed Superman by the head and began ramming it over and over again into the ground. Chris had to fight to remain conscious and lost track of time. When he grew board, Bizarro released Chris and admired his handiwork. Blood trickled from Superman's lips, his body almost totally limp. Bizarro held his boot over Chris's head, ready to crush Superman's skull.

"Not-Superman go bye, bye," Bizarro said.

Chris opened his eyes and used his heat vision to melt the metal nametag around Bizarro's neck. He screamed in agony but kept focused on the tag. It felt awful—his eyes burned terribly, like they were melting out of their sockets. Even though the infrared energy was half its normal strength, it managed to get the job done. The metal tag liquefied just long enough to encase the green-K shard in a teardrop-shaped lump on Bizarro's abdomen where it hardened.

The change was immediate. Superman felt his body instantly bounce back. He grabbed Bizarro's boot just before it reached his head. With the sun shining directly overhead, Superman gave Bizarro's foot a mighty heave and threw him away.

Chris's breathing was labored. His vision was blurry and his body ached. His powers were still returning, but it would take an hour or two before he got his second wind. Superman was no match for Bizarro right now.

Then his super-hearing picked up the sound of a metal chain breaking. The sky turned dark red and he saw fields of magical energy flow from every corner of the world and focus on the figure of sweet little Moka Akashiya. Superman stared transfixed as her body underwent a dramatic metamorphosis from a buxom teenager into a viscous-looking supermodel with long white hair and red catlike eyes.

"It's about time you woke me up, Tsukune," Moka said. "I was beginning to wonder if you were going to let the new guy have all the fun."

"Awesome!" cried Yukari. "Bizarro's gonna be sorry now!"

Superman rose to his feet. Was Moka about to fight Bizarro after he'd almost killed him? Was she insane?

"And you," she said to Chris. "I knew there was something funny about you from the beginning, but even I couldn't guess who you really were."

Bizarro was levitating in the air between Moka and Chris. "Bizarro no like snow hair lady," he said. "Bizarro tired of monsters."

Moka merely smirked. "Then you're in the wrong place. _Let me show you what I mean!_"

Moka leapt into the air toward Bizarro, spun and landed a perfect aerial kick to the side of his head. It would have been perfect, that was, if Bizarro hadn't caught her by the ankle and threw her to the ground like a rag doll.

Everyone gasped. They honestly expected her to TKO Bizarro with one blow? Enraged, the creature raced toward the ground to pummel Moka again, but Superman raced across and gathered her up at superspeed. Bizarro only hit gravel and dirt. Chris handed her to Tsukune. Moka's arms encircled his neck as he held her.

"So strong," she mumbled. "How…how could he beat me so easily?"

"Oh, man, we're totally screwed," Mizore said.

Chris had to take a knee, breathing heavily. He only had one option: send Bizarro back to the Phantom Zone. Even though he would be able to come back using his mirror box, it would buy them time to plan an offensive.

"Everybody stand back!" he said.

Chris shakily held his mirror box and pointed it at Bizarro. The crystal glowed and a beam of energy shot from its tip and engulfed the creature. He cried out in shock as his molecules were torn apart and his atoms were dissolved. Then the world cracked open and a yawning abyss swallowed Bizarro up.

Everything became still. Superman huffed a sigh of relief and stood up.

"Is it over?" asked Yukari.

"I'm afraid not," said Superman. "As long as he has a mirror box, Bizarro will be able to come back."

"Then we need to think strategy," Moka said. She was leaning against Tsukune with an arm still around his shoulders. "Nobody bests me and gets away with it for long."

"What I have to tell you will sound unbelievable," Superman said.

"I'll say," another voice said.

It was Ruby Tojo. Her sudden appearance shocked everyone.

"Ruby?" asked Tsukune. "What are you doing here?"

The teenaged witch sighed heavily. "Well, you see, it's a really long story."


	6. Chapter 5 - The Kryptonite Stratagem

**Chapter 5 – The Kryptonite Stratagem**

Class was released for the rest of the day while school officials investigated the circumstances surrounding Bizarro's attack. Everyone except eyewitnesses were told to return to their dormitories and that the normal schedule would resume the following day. To ensure their privacy, the Newspaper Club retreated to the one place where they would least likely be disturbed by students or teachers on an afternoon off:

The school library.

The room seemed infinite, its rows of shelves soaring a hundred feet into the air and stacked with volumes upon countless volumes of books. They secluded themselves in a reading area somewhere far from the entrance where no one would hear them. Everyone was back in their school uniforms except Christopher, whose clothes had been reduced to ash by Bizarro. He looked more comfortable in his bodysuit and cape anyway, standing straight with his shoulders squared and head held high.

The disguise was gone. This was the real Chris Kent. And he had spent the last half hour explaining everything: where he came from, why he was there and what kind of threat they were facing. Naturally, the information was overwhelming.

"Bizarro is a perfect imperfect copy of my father, the original Superman," Chris explained. "Almost everything about him is reversed: I have heat vision, he has freeze vision. I have arctic breath and he has flame breath. My powers come from a yellow sun, and I'm vulnerable to green kryptonite. Bizarro is strengthened by green kryptonite and has powers under a blue sun."

"Krypto-what?" asked Kurumu. She was still wearing a blanket to warm up after Chris thawed her out using his heat vision.

"Kryptonite. Radioactive fragments of my home planet. Green is the most common variety. It's lethal to me in high enough concentrations. Bizarro had a piece of it embedded in his nametag. That, combined with Yukari's magic, is how he had superpowers under a yellow sun."

Ruby broke in:

"So let me get this straight. You're an alien from another planet, but you're also from another universe, and you're here to put a twisted clone of your father back in an interdimensional prison."

"I told you it would sound unbelievable," Chris said.

"No, I totally understand everything you said," Ruby replied. "I just don't get what the 'S' stands for."

"It means Superman, right?" asked Tsukune. "That's what Bizarro said when you were fighting."

"Actually, it's not an S. It's the family crest of the House of El. On Krypton, it was the symbol for hope. When my dad decided to become a superhero he chose to wear it as a moniker. My…a reporter decided to call him Superman and it stuck."

"So Bizarro: what is he?" asked Kurumu. "Is he from the planet Krypton, too?"

"Bizarro is from another dimension called the Underverse," Chris explained. "Think of it as a super dense basement level of reality. His race is composed of a form of macrobacteria that copies whatever organic matter it touches. Bizarro was created when a wave of protoforms from the Underverse tried to invade Earth. My dad managed to send them all back to their home dimension, but they'd already copied most of Metropolis, including him. Bizarro came back time and again by forcing open quantum wormholes. Mostly he was just a harmless nuisance. Then he destroyed Bizarro-Earth."

A collective gasp echoed in the cavernous space. This revelation startled everyone.

"He destroyed his version of Earth?" Moka asked.

Chris nodded. "For some reason, Bizarro got it in his head that if he was going to be a perfect imperfect duplicate, he had to do things exactly opposite from my dad. My father was sent to Earth as a baby, just before Krypton exploded. So Bizarro decided to destroy Bizarro-Earth and come to normal Earth as an adult. My dad never kills, but Bizarro went on a killing spree."

"That's some insanely twisted logic," said Tsukune. "No wonder your dad put him in the Phantom Zone."

"So how are we supposed to fight something stronger than all of us and Inner Moka combined?" asked Kurumu.

"Well we can't use magic," said Yukari. "That was a disaster."

"There must be some way to stop him," said Moka. "Some way that doesn't involve destroying our Earth in the process."

"There is something that can give us an edge," said Chris. "Bizarro is vulnerable to blue kryptonite the same way I am to green. Since there's no way of knowing whether Krypton ever existed in your universe, I'll have to get creative. Ruby, Yukari, I'm going to need your help."

"You can count on us!" said Yukari.

"Wait," Ruby said hesitantly. "What am I supposed to tell Headmaster Mikogami?"

"Well, Bizarro did bypass the barrier, right?" said Tsukune. "Nobody has to know there are two travelers here."

"That's right," Kurumu said. "Nobody except us knows that Chris Kent and Superman are one and the same. Ruby, you work in the central office. You can make sure his secret identity stays secret."

"At least until after this mess is cleaned up," Chris said. "I don't really care what comes out after I'm gone."

"In that case, we'd better get you a new uniform," Ruby said.

Yukari's magic wand appeared in her hand. "I have just the thing."

She cast a spell and conjured up a pair of wire-framed glasses. She handed them to Chris. "Here you go. These glasses will help you keep up your disguise. They're enchanted with a perception spell. Anyone who doesn't already know your secret identity won't even think twice about plain ole' Chris Kent. Try them on."

Chris put the glasses on and watched in amazement as a layer of clothing materialized on top of his bodysuit. He was wearing a version of the Yokai Academy uniform: green jacket over a yellow turtleneck and khaki slacks. The clothes fit his body as well as his bodysuit did.

"The clothes are just an illusion," Yukari said. "They'll disappear if you take off the glasses."

"Thank you, Yukari," said Chris. "This is perfect. All right, now we need to use the chemistry lab for at lest a few hours."

"What for?" asked Ruby.

Chris pushed his new glasses further up his nose. "We're going to make some blue kryptonite."

* * *

The chemistry lab was on the second floor in the east wing of the school. With the building practically deserted, Ruby, Chris and Yukari had unfettered access. Glass cabinets against the walls held beakers, flasks and measuring tubes of every size. Behind the teacher's desk was a locked door marked "Storage Closet" which Chris forced open using his strength.

"How are we going to make this stuff if it comes from another planet in another universe?" asked Yukari.

"I know the recipe," Chris said as he quickly scanned the shelves looking for the ingredients they needed.

"Hey," Kurumu said, "where's Tsukune and Moka?"

Ruby looked around the room. "Last time I saw them we were all leaving the library. Maybe they went back for something."

"I'll go check," Kurumu said.

"What's going on between her and Moka?" asked Chris as he handed Yukari a jar of promethium powder. "Are they competing for Tsukune or something?"

"We all are," Yukari said. "It's complicated, but we're all kinda in love with Tsukune. I have a thing for Moka too, but that's just me."

"He must be a real special guy," Chris commented, "to have so many pretty girls chasing after him." Next he found mercury and tantalum.

"He saved my life once," Yukari said. "In fact, he's risked his life for each of us at some point in time."

Remarkably, Chris found some plutonium ore tablets and a canister of xenon gas. "Tsukune sounds really brave."

They moved everything to a lab table in the middle of the classroom where Ruby already had an assortment of glassware ready for them.

"He is," Yukari said dreamily. "He and Moka are destined for each other though."

Chris began by grinding the plutonium pellets to fine dust in his bare hands. "Yet you fight over him."

"We're not super serious about it," she said. "If we were we would have killed each other a long time ago."

A low, creepy voice came from the ventilation shaft above. "Speak for yourselves. I'm in it to win it."

Everyone looked up, startled to see Mizore hanging from the open vent cover, peering down at them with her blank, glassy stare.

"Mizore, what are you doing up there?" asked Chris.

"She's stalking you," Ruby said. "Don't worry, it's her way of showing affection."

Mizore climbed down to the floor. "So how's the mad science going?"

"Luckily I managed to find all the ingredients in the closet. Did you know they had plutonium ore in there? I thought I was going to have to make it myself."

"You should see what they keep in the basement," Ruby said.

Everyone looked at her expectantly, particularly Chris. "Like…?"

"Umm, maybe I said too much."

* * *

Tsukune's back was pressed against a bookshelf as Moka fed from his neck.

"I'm sorry, Tsukune," she said. "But I'm just so thirsty."

"It's ok, Moka. You can have all you need."

He held her tight against him. All he wanted in that moment was to make her feel better, make her safe. The fight with Bizarro had shaken Inner Moka to her core. Outer Moka would probably need more of his blood to regain her strength for next time.

She pressed her lips against the spot where she bit him, but she kissed it instead.

"I have everything I need," Moka said.

They spent countless moments just soaking in the solitude. Tsukune felt he could have held her forever, hidden safely in the library.

"We're alone," Moka whispered.

"Mm hm."

Moka moved her hands up Tsukune's chest and encircled his neck.

"All alone," Moka said as she kissed her way along the underside of his jaw toward his chin. "Your heart is beating so fast."

"Yours is, too," Tsukune said breathlessly.

"Should I stop? I don't want it to explode."

Tsukune could feel her smile against his skin. Impossibly, he felt even more turned on. His hands traced a path along her spine from their resting place at the small of her back.

"You're giving me goosebumps," Moka's voice was shallow, husky.

Their heads were pressed together, their lips so close. If he would just lean down an inch further.

"What are we doing, Tsukune?" Moka asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean...can we really have this? You and I, can a human and a vampire be together?"

"Moka..."

"I would come with you," she said quickly. "To live in the human world. I'd do that for you in a heartbeat. That's how badly I want to be with you."

Tsukune felt a dam break inside him and a great rush of happiness overcame him.

"You would do that?" He couldn't help smiling from ear to ear.

She nodded, gazing up at him lovingly.

"Moka, I've wanted to say this for a long time. But I love you. More than anything, I love you."

"Oh, Tsukune. I love you, too."

He closed the divide between them and kissed her. It was everything Moka had dreamed it would be: strong, sweet and passionate. It was worth the long wait. Tsukune felt her body practically melt in his arms. God she was lovely.

Kurumu watched from around a corner as two of her best friends made out. The teenage succubus clenched her fist so hard the nails dung into her palm like metal spikes. Hot, angry tears scorched their way down her face.

_Damn you, Moka…damn you!_

She turned away and ran for the library entrance.

* * *

Chris used his artic breath to cool the container of xenon gas until it frosted. He then unscrewed the nozzle and poured it into a jar.

"That's amazing," Yukari told Ruby. "Xenon turns into a liquid at -108 degrees Celsius. It should freeze his hand off."

He combined the tantalum, mercury, promethium and plutonium with the liquid xenon. Chris recited the concentrations over again:

"Ok, that's 15.08% plutonium, 18.06 tantalum, 27.71% xenon, 14.56% mercury and 24.02% promethium."

Yukari did the math in her head. "You're still missing a little something."

Chris reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a beautifully cut crystal about six inches long.

"0.57% sunstone material. The final ingredient. I'm glad I decided to bring this after all."

"What is it?" asked Mizore.

"This is the pinnacle of Kryptonian technology," Chris explained. "Programmable matter. It can change its own physical properties to suit the needs of its user. This particular crystal contains a simulated AI of my father. I can't access it without a proper console, but I brought it with me anyway as a good luck charm."

He held it over the container and lowered his glasses just enough to hit the pointed tip with a surgical burst of heat vision. A piece the size of a pinhead fell into the kryptonite brew.

"What next?" asked Ruby.

"Now I heat it up to 50 million degrees for 25 to 30 microseconds," Chris said. "Any longer and the blue will transition into the gold band, and then it'll be useless to us. I need you and Yukari to contain the heat and pressure within a magical barrier so the explosion doesn't…well, kill us all."

The two witches looked at each other then back at Chris.

"25 to 30 microseconds, huh?" asked Yukari.

"When you put it that way it doesn't seem that long," said Ruby.

"We need to do this now, before all the xenon evaporates," Chris said.

Ruby and Yukari nodded and cast a spell around the container of proto-kryptonite. Chris lowered his glasses once again and concentrated on the hottest burst of heat vision he had ever attempted. Timing and intensity were key. Chris slowed time down within his mind until seconds stretched into minutes then into hours. He could feel the infrared energy building up behind his eyes, starting in the optic nerves and working their way forward. Just as his vision turned false-color, he heard Kurumu burst through the door of the chemistry lab and scream:

"_That bitch!_"

His concentration slipped for just a nanosecond. The concussion broke through the field and blew out every window of the chemistry lab. Seconds passed then minutes.

Gradually, they pushed themselves up off the floor.

"W-what happened?" asked Mizore groaned. She didn't know what was worse, the ringing in her ears or her skull vibrating like a tuning fork.

"What?" yelled Yukari.

"She asked what happened," yelled Chris.

"The barrier expanded when the potion exploded," Ruby said, flexing her jaw.

The shockwave had pushed back Kurumu into the hallway. "What were you guys doing?" she asked. "That knocked me flat on my ass."

All eyes turned maliciously on Kurumu. She asked ignorantly:

"What?"

Chris looked on the table and saw a glowing blue crystal the size of a silver dollar in place of the container. He grabbed it and held it up between his thumb and forefinger. Chris felt his cells soak up its rejuvenating rays like sponges.

"We did it," he said.

Yukari gasped and smiled. "Blue kryptonite."

"It's so beautiful," Ruby said.

Chris blew on it to cool it off. "This should even the odds a little bit, " he said.


	7. Chapter 6 - Love Sucks Then You Get Over

**Chapter 6 – Love Sucks Then You Get Over It**

Ruby stood before Headmaster Mikogami in his office. The mysterious exorcist stared at her, his white glowing eyes unblinking, as she delivered her report.

"And this Bizarro creature," he asked, "do you know where it came from?"

"I believe it came from the same dimension it used to bypass the Great Barrier," Ruby replied.

He slouched in his chair, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm. Very good work, Ruby. You've done me a great service. However, your news is disturbing for several reasons. It takes very powerful magic and an intricate knowledge of the dark arts to access other dimensions. If Bizarro is as dimwitted as you describe then it's unlikely he was acting alone. We must ascertain if his arrival in our world was accidental or deliberate."

"That may be hard to do, Headmaster," Ruby said. "You see, I…uh, I sent him back to the dimension he came from."

"That's no guarantee he won't return," said the headmaster. "Thank you for your efforts, Ruby. Please make yourself available in case I need you again."

Ruby gave a slight bow. "Of course, headmaster."

She turned to leave the office. With her hand on the doorknob, the headmaster called to her again.

"One more thing, Ruby. There was some kind of explosion in the chemistry lab. Have you heard anything about that?"

A cold sweat broke out on Ruby's forehead. _Think, Ruby, think!_

"Uhh…I'm afraid I haven't, Headmaster. It was probably just a few delinquents messing around with the equipment unsupervised."

"I was thinking the same thing," Headmaster Mikogami said. "Please be a dear and look into it for me? After the events of today, the last thing we need is a bunch of hooligans disrupting the school further."

"I'll get right on that."

She left the office quickly and sighed heavily on the other side of the door while the headmaster smiled knowingly in the soft glow of candlelight.

* * *

Tsukune's room in the male dorms was tasteful but plain. His only furniture was a nightstand, a bed and a few shelves. There was no decoration save a single poster on the wall across from a small closet. Chris could see the female dorms straight across from Tsukune's window. And would you believe Moka's room was in direct line of sight of Tsukune's.

"Well I know it's not much," said Tsukune. "But Ruby should have something for you by tomorrow."

"Thanks for letting me bunk here," Chris said. "I won't take up much space."

He levitated off the floor and stretched out horizontally a few inches below the ceiling and facing the floor.

"You can sleep while you fly?" asked Tsukune.

"Actually, it's hard not to. When I was a kid I would wake up hovering above my bed sometimes."

"Wow. Life must've been pretty interesting when you were growing up," Tsukune said.

"It had its ups and downs," Chris admitted. "My world is full of superheroes, so I had quite a few people to lean on who understood what I was going through. Especially my parents."

"You didn't really talk about your mom very much," Tsukune said.

"She was the reporter who named my father Superman," Chris explained. "My dad worked with her for years at the Daily Planet newspaper. In disguise, of course."

"And she never caught on?" Tsukune asked.

"The way my dad used to tell it, he had her fooled right up until he revealed his secret identity. My mom says she was suspicious in the beginning, and even tried to prove Clark Kent was really Superman. Eventually, though, she accepted the illusion. And my mom was a very perceptive woman."

"So journalism kinda runs in your family," said Tsukune.

"I guess you could say that," Chris said.

It was extremely pleasing to speak to a friend like this, using his powers openly and not having to worry that he might slip. He never relaxed this way even when he visited Tim at the manor, and they were best friends.

"I joined the Daily Planet as Chris Kent," he said. "I maintain the web page and the on-line edition of the paper."

Tsukune settled down on his bed. "You don't sound like you enjoy it very much."

"Honestly, I don't. My mom and dad liked chasing down leads, digging up dirt—the detective work. I do, too, but as Superman."

"But you are Superman," Tsukune said.

"It's hard to explain," Chris said. "Christopher Kent is only a name, just like Superman is only a name. The line that separates their personalities and their natures—it gets blurry most of the time. I don't like having to live a double life. I really feel more like myself when I wear the cape."

"Gee, when you put it that way it sounds almost unbearable," Tsukune said. "I wonder if that's how Moka feels."

"Tell me about her," Chris asked. "I saw Moka change from a sweet, innocent girl into a scary vampire chick with better skills than Lady Shiva."

"It's complicated. But basically Moka is an S-class supermonster, the most powerful and dangerous kind of monster there is. When she was a little girl, her mother forged that enchanted rosary to keep her powers from awakening a demon named Alucard. They say Outer Moka is artificial, something created by the magic of the rosary while the supermonster you saw attack Bizarro is the real Moka."

_Holy crap,_ thought Chris._ I thought I had problems. _

"So she has a real split personality," he said. "That's heavy. Where does Inner Moka go when she's wearing the rosary?"

"Asleep. Or something like that. Moka says her inner self talks to her through the rosary sometimes, so she's aware of what goes on while Outer Moka is in control."

_There is no therapy in the world…_

"How does she do it?" Chris asked. "Having two selves trapped in the same body, sharing the same brain and everything…it makes my issues seem so insignificant." He looked at Tsukune. "Which one did you fall in love with?"

"Huh?"

"I saw how you acted out on the soccer field," Chris said. "All you could think about was being near her to protect her."

Tsukune rubbed the back of his neck. "It's gotten pretty obvious, hasn't it? I guess I think of them as being one and the same. One doesn't exist without the other in my mind."

"Two sides of the same coin," Chris said as he thought about the dynamic between Batman and Superman, a relationship that started with his father and Bruce Wayne and had been passed down to him and Tim Drake, the current Dark Knight.

"Yea, exactly," said Tsukune. "Y'know, I'm glad you're here, Chris. Most of the time I don't have anyone to talk to about this stuff. Most guys at the school hate me because the girls hang around me all the time."

"You've certainly got them under a spell, Tsukune," said Chris. "I wish I could sympathize, but you really are a lucky devil. I haven't even been on a date in over a year."

"Seriously?"

"Well, girls aren't exactly lining up to date a timid geek in baggy suites."

"But you're not really like that at all. I've seen you," Tsukune said. "Why can't you date other superheroes?"

"We don't have the most stable personal lives," said Chris. "We've given up the simple things for a higher calling that involves a great deal of sacrifice. Most of us don't know how to have meaningful relationships because we've never practiced _having_ them. If a fling lasts more than a month we're doing good."

"And your last…uh, fling was over a year ago?"

"No. My last _date_ was over a year ago. And it was with this girl from the Planet's accounting office. I had to cut it short because the League needed me in Singapore. After that I just kinda stopped trying. It's not all bad, though. I've already lived an incredible adventure. I've seen and done things other people have only dreamed of."

"But what's the point if you don't have anyone to share it with?" Tsukune asked.

_And that's why my dad had to leave,_ Chris said.

They exchanged goodnights and turned out the lights. Chris remained awake for hours, hovering over the room and playing with the piece of blue kryptonite they had made in the chemistry lab. Sometime around midnight his super-hearing picked up the sound of a young girl crying. Wait, it was not crying exactly. More like pouting. Silently, Chris opened the window and flew outside. The night air was still and eerie, like everything else in this world. The telltale sounds of late evening were absent.

The world was dead.

He heard the sobs again and homed in on the source. Kurumu was on the roof of the girls' dorm, hugging herself and weeping. Under the light of the moon she looked pale, her loud blue hair subdued. She was wearing a tank top, shorts and slippers.

"Are you ok?"

Kurumu spun around and saw Chris floating a few feet above the walkway. She gave him an angry glare and turned away.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I heard you crying," Chris said. "I wanted to make sure you were all right."

"Well, I'm not. And there's nothing you can do about it, so just go away."

Her shouts were more sad than angry. Kurumu was hurt, but not furious.

Chris landed on the walkway but maintained a respectable distance from the teen succubus. "Why don't you tell me what's bothering you. Maybe I can help."

"You?" Kurumu said disdainfully. "You're an alien from another planet in a whole other universe. What makes you think you can understand anything about my problems?"

"Well, I'm neither human nor a monster, so I can offer a completely different perspective from either," Chris said.

"Don't patronize me," Kurumu spat. She whirled around, her fists clenched at her sides, an endless trail of tears streaming down both sides of her face and meeting at her chin. "You call yourself Superman, but you can't do everything, can you? You have limits. If I couldn't make Tsukune love me, neither can you. So just leave me alone!"

She lunged at him with her claws out. Chris caught her by the wrists in a firm hold she tried to struggle against, but failed.

"Let me go!"

"You need to calm down, Kurumu," Chris said. "I'm sorry you're upset, but fighting me isn't going to make you feel better."

She stopped moving. Her head drooped as if she'd been defeated. Then new tears started flowing from her red, puffy eyes and her knees gave out. Chris caught her as she collapsed into him and lowered her to sit on her knees. Then he held her head against his shoulder as she started sobbing uncontrollably.

"Why doesn't he love me?" she whimpered. "He loves Moka so much. Why doesn't he love me that way?"

"You're in love with Tsukune," Chris said.

Kurumu nodded. "I know he's human. I know it'll probably never work. I just kept hoping he would look at me the way he looks at her. But he never does."

"Are you sure you don't want Tsukune just because he's already in love with Moka?"

Her sobs turned into girlish hiccups. "You…_hic,_ don't get it," she said. "Tsukune is my Destined One. If he rejects me, I'll die."

"Aren't you being a little over dramatic?" Chris asked gently.

Kurumu pulled back and looked at him with more sincerity than he thought she had. "No, I'll literally die! I'm a succubus. Finding our soul mate is part of our life cycle; that's why we're compelled to seduce so many men throughout our lives. It's all so we can find our destined mate." She buried her face in her hands and started weeping uncontrollably again. "And I wasn't good enough for mine. Do you have any idea what that feels like?"

Chris thought twice and replied with a question of his own. "Kurumu, how do you know?"

She stopped crying long enough to make eye contact again. "What?"

"How do you know Tsukune's your Destined One?" Chris asked.

"I just know," she said.

"Because you love him."

"Well…yea. How else?"

Chris chose his next words carefully, measured them like he was weighing gold against a pile of feathers.

"Kurumu, I know what love is," he said. "My parents had it, and I grew up seeing the real thing rather than what other people think it is. I know true love is a process. It's not magical or mystical because you can't make someone else fall in love with you just by being in love with them. When it's real, it's mutual—it brings out all the best qualities in the people who have it. You see, that's why my dad had to leave Earth after my mother was murdered."

"What?" Kurumu said, aghast at his disclosure.

Now Chris was the one hanging his head. "It's why I had to step up and become the next Superman. It's why I'm the one chasing down all my father's enemies. When she died, my dad lost touch with all the parts of himself that tied him to the human race. That's how powerful their love was." He raised his head, and instead of the reflection of herself Kurumu expected to see in his face, Chris smiled. "And that's why I know you'll be all right. Because when you fall in love for real, that other person is going to magnify everything amazing and unique about you, and you'll do the same for him. It'll be a source of strength so great that you'll never feel the way you do now ever again. You just need to give it time."

She was silent. Her tears were dry and her hiccups had ceased. Chris really hoped he hadn't crossed some kind of line and made things worse.

"That's…that's the most beautiful thing anyone's ever said to me." She sniffled and wiped her face with the back of her hand. "Look at me. I'm a mess."

"A good night's sleep will fix that," Chris said.

"Why do you care so much?" she asked. "You're a powerful superhuman and I'm a total stranger."

Chris helped her up off her knees. "Everybody matters, even strangers."

He escorted her back to her room. They had to be quiet because boys weren't allowed in the female dormitories.

Before she closed her door, Kurumu stepped back into the hall.

"Chris, I need a favor," she asked.

"I won't tell anyone why you're upset," he reassured her. "It's not my place."

"Thanks. But that's not it. Would you…would you kiss me goodnight?"

The awkwardness level skyrocketed, and suddenly Chris was afraid he had given her the wrong impression.

"Kurumu, I…I can't stay here. If things were different…if I had more time—"

"Relax, Metropolis," she said with one of those female I'm-smarter-than-you smiles. "I'm only asking for a goodnight kiss."

Chris looked around and made sure they were alone. He stepped closer and leaned down. Just before their lips met, Kurumu reached up and pushed his glasses up on his head—as long as the glasses were in physical contact, his disguise would remain intact—then she landed a whopper of a goodnight kiss on Chris's lips. It wasn't long or salacious or even arousing. It was—and here the word popped right into Chris's mind—just perfect. It lasted a second and a half, long enough for their lips to meet in sync and then part in bittersweet farewell.

Perfect. Kiss.

"Goodnight, Metropolis," Kurumu said. And she closed the door.

Chris put his glasses back on his nose and walked up to the roof, flying back to Tsukune's window. The whole time he repeated the same question over and over again in his mind:

_What just happened?_


	8. Chapter 7 - Man of Steel and a Vampire

**Chapter 7 – Man of Steel and a Vampire**

"Kurumu, what's wrong with you?" asked Yukari, trying desperately to get her attention.

The teenage succubus had been silent the whole way to school. Holding her books against her chest, Kurumu walked as if she was off in her own little world. It annoyed Yukari to no end.

"Are you sick or something? Hey! Don't make me drop a washtub on you."

Yukari fell behind when she failed to get her attention.

"Kinda weird, huh?" asked Mizore.

"You're telling me," Yukari said. "Maybe she'll pep up when she see's Tsukune."

"That reminds me," Mizore said, "I'd better get in position. See you behind the bushes."

The large, gothic towers of Yokai Academy's front entrance appeared ahead and they saw Tsukune and Chris walking together further up the path. Moka was with them, too, handing on Tsukune's arm like they were a couple.

"Wow, Tsukune and Moka look really cozy, Kurumu," goaded Yukari. "What do you think of that?"

The first words out of her mouth that morning knocked Yukari for a loop. "It's fine, I guess."

Yukari flipped. "What? That's crazy talk. Now I know you're sick!"

"Just calm down, squirt," Kurumu said. "I'm fine."

"Good morning, Kurumu. Yukari," Moka said pleasantly.

Rather than shove her immense breasts in Tsukune's face, Kurumu fell in right beside Chris.

"Morning," she replied.

Tsukune and Moka also noticed her subdued demeanor immediately.

"Is something wrong, Kurumu?" asked Tsukune.

"No. I'm fine," she said, and genuinely meant it. "So, Chris, how was your first night in the dorms? Anything crazy happen?"

"I'm kind of relieved it was quiet night," he said. "How about you, did you sleep well?"

"I could've used another hour," Kurumu said. "But once I finally cleared my head I dropped right off."

"Have you been stressed out about something?" asked Moka.

"It's funny," she said. "I used to think I understood myself pretty well. A new perspective can really enlighten you sometimes."

"That's pretty deep," Tsukune said.

Chris pointed at her books. "Want me to carry those?"

"I got it, Metropolis," she said flirtatiously. "If you really want to impress me, buy me lunch."

The four friends entered the school together. Meanwhile, Yukari was standing still in the yard, flabbergasted. Mizore was suddenly next to her.

"I get the feeling we've missed something," she said.

"Mm hmm," Yukari replied simply.

* * *

The new glasses were working pretty well. Miss Nekonome didn't even notice Chris as he walked into class and took his seat. He was literally a fly on the wall to everyone in the classroom. The new guy from America? What new guy from America? Aside from Tsukune, Mizore and the others, he was a ghost.

Miss Nekonome started the day's lesson without mentioning the incident that unexpectedly closed down the school, even though it was the hot topic of conversation among the students. Instead, she launched into a lecture on the use of hyperbole and metaphor in horror literature that lasted forty-five minutes until a faint but high-pitched ring broke Miss Nekonome's concentration. She turned and saw Christopher's jacket was glowing oddly.

"Christopher, are you making that noise?" she asked.

Chris reached into his inside pocket and pulled out the mirror box. Its Kryptonian glyphs were fluidly spinning over its surface, the quantum energy within making it vibrate as he held it.

"What on Earth is that?" Miss Nekonome asked, transfixed by the device.

A noise like thunder penetrated the windows accompanied by a constant strobe of white light. The class's attention was diverted outside as the symbols locked in place. Chris left his desk and peered out the windows, joined by Tsukune and the others, where they each saw a Phantom Zone tear hanging in the sky above Yokai Academy.

"He's back already?" said Moka.

"Oh, my," Miss Nekonome fretted. "This doesn't look good."

The portal closed with a flash and a human figure dropped to the surface, sending tremors through the ground with his landing.

"Are you sure that piece of blue kryptonite is enough to hurt Bizarro?" asked Kurumu.

"We're about to find out," Chris said resolutely. "You guys remember the game plan?"

* * *

_Twelve hours earlier…_

"Did anyone see us come in here?" asked Mizore.

"No. I think we're safe," Ruby replied.

They had retreated back to the library after the explosion in the chemistry lab. Those who had been at ground zero were a disheveled lot, their clothes and faces spotted with soot, clothing frayed at the seams and their hair a tangled mess.

"What happened to you guys?" asked Moka.

Chris held up a small blue crystal. "We did it."

"So that's blue kryptonite, huh?" Tsukune said. "It looks like a sapphire."

"The specific radiation is so unique that it doesn't affect humans except under special circumstances like years of constant exposure," explained Chris.

"Great," said Kurumu. "Now what do we do with it?"

"Bizarro has a device on his belt that looks like this," Chris said. He held up the silver sunstone. "It's called a mirror box. It's what's allowed him to escape the Phantom Zone by entering your world. If we're going to send him back permanently, we need to get this away from him and destroy it."

"Wait a minute," said Moka, "why can't you just call to it like you did earlier with your own mirror box?"

"This one's been programmed to respond to my commands," explained Chris. "Likewise, Bizarro's mirror box is keyed to his genetic code which means it'll only work for him."

"So how are we going to get close enough to grab it without getting our asses pummeled?" asked Mizore.

"First I'll fight Bizarro one-on-one with the blue kryptonite to drain his strength," he said. "Moka, when he's weak to the point of exhaustion you'll do that…_thing_ you do and make sure he stays down."

"I can do that," she said, tugging on the metal cross hanging from her neck. "But Tsukune has to be with me. I can't remove the rosary myself."

"Ok. Then Kurumu, Ruby and Yukari will need to protect Tsukune," Chris said.

"You can count on us," Ruby said with more enthusiasm than she actually felt.

Chris continued laying out the battle plan. "When the fighting starts you'll have to keep up with me because the first thing I'll do is lead Bizarro away from the academy to an unpopulated area. That'll be where the real battle begins. After Bizarro can't fight anymore, Moka and I will destroy his mirror box and send him back to the Phantom Zone."

"Sounds like a good plan," said Tsukune.

Chris threw the kryptonite gem into the air, caught it. "It had better be."

* * *

_Now…_

"Please, I need you all to return to your seats," Miss Nekonome said.

"You'll have to excuse me, ma'am," Chris said as he removed his glasses. "But I've got a job to do."

His school uniform faded away, revealing his blue action suit and red cape. The entire classroom gasped in surprise as the true identity of the Red Cape Guy was revealed.

"Oh, my goodness," Miss Nekonome said breathlessly.

Chris handed Kurumu his glasses. "Hold on to these for me?"

"We'll be right behind you," she said.

Superman opened the window and flew outside to meet Bizarro.

* * *

"_Where am Superman!?_" screamed Bizarro and he toppled a series of columns like dominoes. The roof over the portico crumbled, kicking up dust and debris as part of the math wing came crashing down.

"Hey, asshole!"

Bizarro turned and faced Moka's angry little half-sister, Kokoa.

"You nearly buried me under that rubble," she said accusingly.

"Cute little girl," Bizarro said.

"_Grrr. I'll show you little!_" Kokoa ran up to Bizarro, leapt and tried to land a flying jack kick to his chin.

Bizarro caught her by the head, his palm covering her entire face. Kokoa's muffled curses fell on uncomprehending ears as her limbs flailed about while Bizarro held her at arms length.

"Rude little girl," Bizarro said. He cocked his arm back and threw Kokoa into the air like he was throwing a baseball, the vampire girl screaming as she traced an arced path over the horizon. "Hello, and bad riddance."

The Man of Steel swooped down and tackled Bizarro, barreling into the dimwitted clone at sonic speed. Their collision dug a ditch over a hundred yards long that ended well within the woods. Superman pushed Bizarro through several thick trunks, reducing them to mere toothpicks, before finally coming to a stop against a limestone bluff. Superman did not relent. He unleashed a series of quick haymakers to Bizarro's midsection, landing several critical hits to vital points, before throwing Klukor-style elbow strikes at his neck and face.

The cracks in the limestone grew longer and wider with each blow, the sound of the splitting bluff almost as loud as Superman's beatdown of Bizarro.

He held the piece of blue-k in his right fist as he fought. Superman was aware that Bizarro could still be feeding off of the green kryptonite soldered to his abdomen if it was making physical contact against his costume, but it was too risky to try and remove it lest he hurt himself and give Bizarro a window of opportunity.

Instead, Superman delivered what should have been the _coup de grace_, a haymaker straight to Bizarro's face that split the great limestone bluff in two. The air was cracked by a sonic boom that toppled trees for a quarter mile. Superman backed away and let Bizarro fall to his knees. He was slack-jawed as he stared up at the Man of Steel until his eyes rolled up inside his skull and he fell the rest of the way forward.

Superman opened his right hand. The blue kryptonite gem had been ground to dust. He watched detachedly as the wind blew the fine grain away. Pulling Bizarro's cape aside, Superman took the mirror box tied to his belt.

Kurumu landed carrying Tsukune while Ruby and Yukari carried Mizore and Moka via levitation.

"Wow, you really laid a whoopin' on him," Yukari said.

"Guess that blue kryptonite really did the trick after all," Moka said.

"I had a score to settle," Superman said. He focused his heat vision on Bizarro's mirror box. The silver sunstone crystal became red then white hot before it literally vaporized.

"That's it?" asked Ruby. "I was expecting something a little more…uhh."

Bizarro picked himself up and stood unsteadily, his eyes focusing on the group.

"You just had to jinx it," Superman said.

"Superman no beat Bizarro," Bizarro said with labored effort. "Bizarro have tricky sleeve."

"What trick up your sleeve? What are you talking about?" Kurumu asked.

The flesh under Bizarro's costume rippled as if something else were moving underneath. Superman stepped back, using his micro-vision to see Bizarro's cells dividing at an alarming rate.

The perfect imperfect duplicate doubled over in pain as a viscous, pussy liquid leaked through the fabric of his costume.

"What the hell is happening to him?" Mizore asked.

"Binary fission," Superman said. "Asexual reproduction. He's making more of himself. I didn't know he could do that."

The milky white fluid coalesced into two humanoid creatures with curdled flesh. They had the same appendages as humans—two legs, two arms and a doughy head and face—but were utterly featureless.

"What are those?!" Tsukune yelled.

"Bizarro clones," Superman said. "They're made of undifferentiated cells. Whatever you do don't let them touch you, or they'll absorb your DNA and take on your traits."

The protoforms encroached upon the Newspaper Club with outstretched arms, their snarls sounding like water draining from a sink. Yukari cast a spell and dropped a golden washtub on each of the protoforms. They exploded like pimples under the heavy weight but reconstituted themselves within seconds.

"Oh, come on!" Yukari screamed in frustration.

"Everybody stand back," Superman said as he aimed his mirror box at one of the protoforms. It vanished in a flash, groaning in agony as it disappeared from reality. He aimed it at the other and tried to send it away as well, but nothing happened.

"Damn," cursed Superman. "It has to recharge after each use."

"How much time?" asked Ruby.

"About five minutes."

Bizarro was on his feet again, grimacing at Superman murderously.

"It's going to be a long five minutes," Mizore said, extending her ice talons.

When the protoform lunged at her she froze it solid and let Kurumu slice it up using her long, steely nails. Superman rushed Bizarro, shoving him back into the limestone cliff. Although the blue-k had weakened him considerably, there was more fight left in him than Superman anticipated.

"Tsukune," Moka said. "Pull it off."

He knew what she meant. Tsukune took the rosary in his hand and pulled. The silver cross came off its chain and magical energy immediately suffused Moka's body from the inside out.

Superman took advantage of Bizarros' distraction. Grabbing the brute by his costume, he spun him around.

"Catch, Moka!" Superman yelled as he threw Bizarro toward the awakened S-class vampire.

Moka sent Bizarro skyward with a lightning-quick jack kick to the chin.

"Payback's a bitch," Inner Moka said with a smirk.

"All right!" said Kurumu. "Moka totally sent him into the stratosphere!"

"Think you can handle him from here, Christopher?" Moka asked, flipping her hair over her shoulder.

Superman was looking into the sky, tracking Bizarro's ascension with his telescopic vision. "Y'know, I think he's actually in the stratosphere. Remind me never to get on your bad s—_Moka! Watch out!_"

The protoform had thawed out and was creeping up Moka's body in its liquid state. Before she could react, it reconstituted itself and started absorbing Moka's genetic material. Their bodies sparked with electricity as the Bizarro clone fed off the wild magic contained in Moka's DNA. The protoform held her around her waist and neck as it transformed into a perfect imperfect duplicate. It gained long pink hair, a supple figure and rapacious vampire traits like a wide mouth filled with fangs, large demonic eyes and a serpent's tongue. It even duplicated a uniform like the one Moka was wearing.

When the process was complete, it pushed the real Moka away. It was like a bestial version of the sweet Outer Moka, a distorted reflection of her inner S-class vampire form.

"Great Rao!" exclaimed Superman.

It focused its attention on Tsukune, its long forked tongue snaking out to lick around its sharp teeth. "Me am Moka," it said in a deeply distorted voice. "Want Tsukune!"

Bizarro-Moka leaped for him, it's jaws open and ready to bite down and rip open Tsukune's neck.

Moka pushed him out of the way just in the nick of time, taking the brunt of Bizarro-Moka's attack herself. The two vampires clashed in a blur of kicks, punches and blocks. Moka finally landed a lucky roundhouse kick to Bizarro-Moka's midsection, sending her through a tree trunk.

"This is just great," said Ruby said. "A Bizarro Superman was bad enough, now we have a Bizarro Moka!"

The real Moka was bent over, hands on her knees, breathing hard. There were red welts around her neck where the Bizarro clone had held her. Without Tsukune helping her to stand, she might have keeled over.

"She stole some of my power," Moka said. "It's going to be tough fighting her and Bizarro."

"Speaking of," Superman said, "I can see him reentering the atmosphere. We've got maybe three minutes."

"Moka," Tsukune said, "will sucking my blood help?"

The white-haired vampire grinned mischievously. "I thought you'd never ask."

Without hesitating Moka bit Tsukune on the neck, savoring the taste of his human blood as it ran down her gullet. She instantly felt her energy restored.

"Ahhh," she said in satisfaction, as if a great thirst had been quenched. "That's more like it. Thanks, Tsukune."

The human teen was lying on the ground, nearly immobile, seconds away from passing out due to anemia. "Eh, any time."

Bizarro-Moka was suddenly upon them again. Yukari unleashed an offensive attack using magic tarot cards expelled from her wand at ballistic speeds. It barely slowed Bizarro-Moka down. She took a swipe at Yukari but Moka caught her by the wrist and head-butted her. Bizarro-Moka stumbled backward on unsteady legs then Mizore impaled her through the chest with an icicle.

Bizarro-Moka laughed and shattered the ice, leaving a hole that quickly repaired itself.

"Vampires are supposed to be weak against water!" Mizore said angrily. "That icicle should've nailed her."

_She fed off it_, Tsukune thought. _Just like Bizarro did with Yukari's magic_. He yelled: "If Moka's weakness is water, then Bizarro-Moka's weakness must be the opposite!"

"Fire, Chris!" yelled Kurumu. "Use your heat vision!"

Superman blanketed Bizarro-Moka with his heat vision while at the same time Yukari cast her tarot card spell. In the path of Superman's heat vision, the cards ignited, slicing into Bizarro-Moka with great intensity. The effect was immediate. The clone unleashed a shrill cry of anguish, paralyzed by the wave of burning tarot cards slicing into its flesh like steel knives.

Ruby bound Bizarro-Moka with enchanted ribbons that wound around her body like mummy wrappings.

"Suuupeerrmaann!" Bizarro called from above as he swooped down like an avenging angel.

"Here he comes!" Mizore shouted.

Superman and Moka leapt into the air, ready to finish Bizarro once and for all.

Then a streak of redheaded fury come out of nowhere and knocked Bizarro out of the air with an angry cry of,_"Hiii-yaaaa!"_

Kokoa brought her spiked baseball bat down right on Bizarro's head and sent him careening to the ground where he landed on top of Bizarro-Moka, kicking up a large dust cloud.

"Chris!" called Kurumu. "Now!"

Superman aimed his mirror box at the spot where Bizarro landed and fired. The beam of energy engulfed both Bizarro and the Bizarro Moka. They both faded away, their cries breaking into an infinity of echoes as they returned to the Phantom Zone.

"We did it, guys!" cried Yukari happily. "They're both gone!"

Back on the ground, Kokoa wrapped her arms around Moka's neck. "Oh, big sister! I'm so glad to see you!"

"Kokoa," Moka said with a trace of annoyance, "what are you doing here? Did you follow us?"

"Oh, no, big sister. I was already in the woods from when that bizarre monster attacked me, and I was looking for payback. So when I saw him about to attack you I got even angrier because no one gets to fight my big sister but me! Did I do good, big sister? Did I make you proud?"

Exhausted, Moka simply hung her head and nodded which only made Kokoa squeal and giggle like a child.

"Somebody put me back to sleep."


	9. Chapter 8 - All You Monsters Out There

**Chapter 8 – All You Monsters Out There**

"So, Mister Kent…or do you prefer Superman?"

Even though he was still wearing his action suit, mention of his alias caught Chris by surprise. "You know about me?"

He was standing in the headmaster's office, facing the shrouded figure himself. After the final confrontation with Bizarro it seemed only proper that he explain what had happened before leaving this universe to continue his mission.

"I know your reputation," the headmaster said. "You're a prominent figure throughout many parallel worlds. I've never visited any, myself. Travel in the multiverse is tricky business, even among the most seasoned sorcerers."

"Normally, it's something I try to avoid," Superman replied. "Unfortunately this was only my first stop. I have five more."

"And Bizarro? He's back in his prison?"

"Permanently," said Superman.

The headmaster sighed relief and relaxed in his chair. "Then I thank you. You did in a few days what might have taken myself and two others weeks, perhaps longer, considering Bizarro's ability to feed off magic."

"You're welcome. I'm a little confused, though. If you knew who I was from the start, why did you let me pretend I was a student at the school?"

"I wasn't sure who you were until after Bizarro first attacked," the headmaster explained. "After that, revealing your secret identity would have been detrimental. It's a policy at Yokai Academy that no student or teacher should revel their true nature except under life-or-death circumstances. Extending that courtesy to you seemed the most prudent course of action. I can only hope your experience here, brief as it's been, was an enlightening one."

"It has," Superman said. "I've made good friends here. I'm going to miss them."

* * *

Kurumu was waiting for Chris outside the headmaster's office. She handed him his pair of enchanted glasses, but he didn't put them on.

"How'd it go in there?" she asked.

"Fine. The headmaster's not so creepy once you get past those glowing eyes."

Superman took Kurumu by the hand as they walked down the hall together, headed toward the roof stairwell.

"Do you really have to leave?" she asked.

"Bizarro was just the first," Superman said, "and probably the easiest. Everything from here on out is going to be an uphill battle."

"I want you to know I understand what you were trying to tell me," Kurumu said. "I still feel in love with Tsukune, but now I know I can feel that way about more than one person."

"Do you feel that way about me?" Superman asked.

"Would it make you stay if I said yes?"

Superman looked conflicted, almost pained. "Kurumu, I…"

"I'm sorry," she said. "That wasn't fair. We barely know each other, and you have so much responsibility. How do you handle it?"

Superman smiled and winked at Kurumu. "The how isn't as important as the why. I'll show you."

They arrived on the roof where Moka, Tsukune and the rest of the Newspaper Club were waiting.

"Are you really leaving?" whined Yukari.

"I'm afraid so," Superman said. "There are other worlds out there that need my help. I can't stop until every one of my father's enemies are back in the Phantom Zone. Before I go, I want you all to know how much I appreciate what you did for me. You made me feel welcome when no one else did, and you stuck by me in one of the toughest fights of my life. I couldn't have asked for better friends."

Kurumu squeezed his hand. She understood.

"Good luck, Chris," Moka said. "We'll be thinking about you."

"You'll always be in my thoughts, as well," Superman said. He turned and faced Kurumu, bringing her hand up to kiss it. "Goodbye."

Pushing herself up on her tiptoes, Kurumu planted another brief, perfect kiss on his lips. "Goodbye."

Kurumu let his hand fall from her grip, and he took a step back. He held the mirror box and it activated. Superman's body was surrounded by a golden halo that became brighter and brighter until, at last, he vanished in a final burst of light.

Seconds passed until anybody said anything.

"Do you think we'll ever see him again?" asked Mizore.

"I hope so," Tsukune said.

"So, Kurumu," said Moka, "you and Chris seemed to share something special."

"It was what it was," she replied.

"What does that mean?" asked Yukari.

Kurumu smiled. "It means the rest of you had better up your game," she said, "because now that I've had a taste of what it feels like to be loved, I'm more determined than ever to make Tsukune mine."

"What!?" Moka shouted.

"There we go!" Yukari said delightedly. "The bimbo's back!"

And just like that, within seconds the girls were arguing with each other to the point of fisticuffs.

Tsukune's shoulders visibly slumped. "Well, so much for personal growth," he said.

**The End**


End file.
